Veteran's Day Traditional Geocache
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(micro)
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We salute the Veterans with this cache in the continuing holiday cache series. The cache is located on the Wapack Trail and is accessed from the trail head off of Mountain Road. There is a small pull-off for a few cars across the road from the trail entrance. A micro size cache was chosen as signage at the trail head indicated a fragile ecosystem and to tread lightly along the trail.
Veteran's Day is a micro film canister containing only a log sheet - please bring your own pen or pencil. Cache is located approximately .25 miles from the trail head. Please remain on the trail as the cache is located ON the trail - NO bushwacking is required!
As in all of the caches in this series, I present a short educational / historical presentation on the holiday. In the year of 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day in the month of November, an armistice (temporary cessation of hostilities) was signed between the Allies and Germany. This armistice was in effect until the final peace treaty, the infamous Treaty of Versailles, was signed in 1919 to end the first World War. On November 11, 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations…”
Congress issued a resolution in 1927 requesting President Coolidge to issue a proclamation calling upon officials to display the Flag of the United States on all government buildings and inviting the people to observe the day in their schools and churches. In 1938, Congress passed a bill that each November 11th “Shall be dedicated to the cause of world peace and … hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.” Later in the year, President Roosevelt signed a bill making this day a legal federal holiday. On June 1, 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation that changed the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day. The change in the name reflected the fact that there were now veterans from World War II and the Korean War in addition to those of the first World War.
We saw a change in the day that Veteran’s Day was observed with the signing of the Monday Holiday Law in 1968, which moved Veteran’s Day from November 11th to the fourth Monday in October, effective in 1971. Initially, all of the states changed with the exception of two. However, states slowly started going back to the November 11th observance. In 1975, legislation to officially change the day back to its original day of November 11th was signed and the law took effect in 1978.
From the days of World War I to the present, we have seen many wars and conflicts of which the men and women of the armed forces have answered the call to protect and defend the freedoms of America. We must not take for granted the service that these folks have done in protecting all of us from those who wish to do harm to this country.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gval uvql ubyr whfg gur evtug fvmr ng gur onfr bs n gjb sbex gerr