Sohn: A century of honoring American veterans

A century ago today, World War I came to an end at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. That's when the armistice agreement was signed between Germany and the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France.

After four years of fighting, an eerie stillness fell across the trenched battlefields of Europe, according to historians, and on the next day, Allied commander Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch sent a message to the Allied Armies: "You have won the greatest battle in history and served the most sacred cause - the Liberty of the World."

It was called the Great War, though how can any war be great? Over its 4-year course, it left 9 million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, along with at least 5 million civilians who died from disease, starvation, or exposure.

America sent 4.7 million sons and daughters to serve in what we now call World War I: 204,000 of them returned home wounded, and 116,516 did not come home at all.

The Great War also was called the War to End All Wars, but it clearly wasn't that either. It still hasn't really resulted in that heady goal of "Liberty of the World."

In less than a quarter century from the armistice signing, we would be embroiled in World War II, where we would commit nearly four times as many of our sons and daughters and lose another 405,399, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. After that, we would fight the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Shield/Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror and its ongoing conflicts.

All told, since World War I began, more than 37.6 million American service members have put their lives on the line - and 668,000 lost their lives - for our liberty and that of others.

That Nov. 11, 1918, 11th hour end of the War to End All Wars was officially recognized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and is still observed in much of the world with a moment of silence at 11 a.m. each Nov. 11. In some countries, the honor is known as Remembrance Day, and many wear a poppy - the symbol of commemoration originating from Canadian Lt. Col. John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields."

In our country, it has become Veterans Day, in honor of all of our war and peacetime veterans - all 18.2 million of them, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

No matter what the aftermath of our 2018 elections may bring politically, here's hoping that if nothing else, it will mean more peace to our country and our veterans - 9.2 million of whom are 65 and older.

We haven't yet had the War to End All Wars.

And we likely never will - unless it's a war that ends all of us, as well.