On the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day--an appropriate name for the intermission after the world war's first act, given the Merriam-Webster definition of armistice: "temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement between the opponents"--I came across this in my reading about my home state: "Then came the return of the troops to Massachusetts. Each organization was met far down Boston Harbor by a fleet of boats representing the governor, the mayor, and civilian organizations, and was welcomed home with bands playing, whistles blowing, and flags flying, but above all with a deep and sincere appreciation and affection from all the people. This culminated in a great reception to the Twenty-sixth Division on its return in early April, 1919, and its final parade through the streets of Boston on April 25."

This is from John H. Sherburne's "Massachusetts in the World War" chapter in volume five of Commonwealth History of Massachusetts. How might a "parade through the streets of Boston" of Iraqi war veterans go over with the current denizens of the Hub? Do the current governor and mayor welcome back the troops with any fanfare? Where are the "bands playing, whistles blowing, and flags flying" for Iraqi veterans?

In contrast to 90 years ago, when its yard hosted drill and its classrooms offered officer training, Harvard bans ROTC. A Bay State bureaucrat last year banned "welcome home" signs for returning vets on highway overpasses as a "safety hazard." And when the U.S. Army dared to celebrate the 230th anniversary of its Cambridge founding, the locals came out to jeer.

Armistice Day is now Veterans Day, which is now generally celebrated by trading it in for that non-holiday known as the day after Thanksgiving. Ninety years after the initial Armistice Day, they don't do a whole lot to remember or celebrate veterans--at least where I live.

I was in Midtown Gotham today and stumbled onto the Veteran's Day Parade. There seemed to be a decent turnout along the streets and I watched a couple Boy Scouts troops and then a high school marching band from Alabama come by. I was hoping the band would play Dixie to celebrate some real American war heroes but instead they were playing Battle Hymn of the Republic.

I have always been impressed at how Gotham has parades practically every week for any reason, and even keeps up on traditional and patriotic ones like Veteran's Day. Also, they are usually pretty successful and done respectfully. Is it a matter of size, with so many people around here? I can't imagine Boston is really that much more leftist than Gotham.

There were clearly many many current soldiers (and hence Iraqi War vets) in attendance and although there may have been losers protesting somewhere I haven't heard of that yet and saw no evidence of it.

On point as always Dan. Well put!

Food for thought:
There are fewer parades and celebrations in certain towns because those towns do not provide the service personnel any longer. Units are no longer comprimised of citizens from a specific area, save reserve units and they do not comprise the majority of the units deployed. Not to denegrate what the reserve does at all. I was one my self, but when the town doesn't have it sons and daughter go into harms way, the people don't care.

Interesting that you make that point Mike. In my reading on WWI-era Massachusetts, the author discussed the nationalization of local guard units. This included not just putting guard units under the command of the president, but breaking apart these units to the point where companies bore no state or regional stamp whatsoever. In Massachusetts, some of these guard units dated back to the Revolutionary War.

As a sidenote to the question of state and local units, during the War of 1812 the manner in which the federal government drafted troops (as it was previous and in subsequent wars) involved imposing a quota on a particular state, rather than drafting individual men. The state's governor balked at the federal government's demand and refused the conscription order. During the Vietnam War, draft refusers went to Canada rather than join the Army. During the War of 1812, the governor of Massachusetts refused the draft because he didn't want his citizens going to Canada.

Going forward, will the new Civilian Security Police Force be marching in these parades. Or will they just be harassing law abiding taxpaying citizens?

When these cities ran by, left over Marixts losers from the 1960's, are hit by terrorists,then it would do them good for the US government to tell them to go ask Chavez or Castro to defend you.

I think San Francisco should become a sanctuary city for the terrorist the left wants to be freed from Gitmo. I bet those "innocent" civilians who are being held hostage in Gitmo,would really love Gavin Newsome presiding over gay marriages as well as falling in love with all the fine citizens of Berkely.
Maybe plastic faced Pelosi,Boxer,or Feinstien will volunteer their city to host these poor innocent "victims" and place ankle bracelets on them. They could back up all their talk about the Gitmo detainees not posing danger to the US,by actually turning them loose in their city.

Yes indeed, the SF bay area would be a fine place to host the "innocents" from Gitmo. Then plastic faced Pelosi could prove her point about their harmlessness.

The SF bay residents have proven time and time again,that the only danger in the world is caused by the USA. They have said no to ROTC recruiters, no to the porting of naval ships,and basically no to anything that has ties to the military.

Would that it were. Some in this great country are so spoiled with the freedoms they take for granted as the defense of those freedoms is invisible to them.

Even when the mechanisms responsible for liberty are pointed out to them, they have the luxury as to whether or not they want to be honest about it and believe someplace, somehow, men with guns are necessary to maintain peaceful order.

We have a whole generation of citizens that can afford to spout 'peace and love' as a mantra because the very people who they disdain who allow for them to live in that dream world are vigilant in what they do.

With reference to our defenses, it's inconceivable to me that Bill Ayers STILL considers himself a 'warrior' in the fight against the military and likens his war to what was being done by our soldiers in Viet Nam!

This little ear ringed Communist coward spent his whole life being coddled and comfortable in the embrace of security that is offered by the United States. And then decides to use that comfort to clandestinely perpetrate violence against the very system that allows for him to do so.

I'm not sure how this piece of excrement is still walking free to spout his bile, never mind that he'll be sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom soon.

This country has surely lost its way.

Billy Ayers is just a pathetic,old man, still making an attempt to be relevant.
That weak old coward was in my hometown, signing his latest work of fiction,guised as non-fiction, back in early 2002. I went to his book signing with the purpose of seeing if this guy was real or some non-animated cartoon character.
I asked him if he was still a socialist,he told me he was never a socialist, then when I reminded him about his statement about killing 25 million hard core capitalist, given in a deposition by an FBI informant, I volunteered to step outside and be the first one he attempts to kill. That old pathetic fool denied saying those things,then called security personal.

He is just an old pitiful coward, who may be good at influencing 18-20 year olds and convincing them he is a warrior,however, I know better, when given the chance to visit violence on another adult, the left over 60's loser showed his true colors, a complete coward.

IMO, the guy is all about some lie,perpetuated by his kind in the media as well as himself.
I know why he choose bombs for carrying out his terrorist violence as opposed to face to face encounters, the truth is, I doubt very seriously if he could have taken on most women,even in his "salad days" when he was a legend in his own mind.
The guy is pitiful, weak,and cowardly. Really a sad person and not worth wasting time being concerned about.
We all saw, "his chickens coming home to roost",just before the election when he asked for police protection, due to what Billy refered to as," fear for his saftey,due to the threats he had been receiving". I just pictured some teenage boys prank phone calling him and threatening him, which scared him to death.
The man is no warrior, nor has he ever been, he is a man whose reputation was built on cowardly acts and lies perpetuated by those who now run universities and the MSM.

In essence, Billy Ayers is nothing more than some old 1960's loser, who is a "never has been", who probably loved the attention he received during the election,until he was threatened by some teenage boys or old women, he then showed his true colors, which isn't red,but yellow.