Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, Armistice Day: The Differences | The News is NowPublic.com

Last week an Army doctor who had taken an oath to "do no harm" opened fire on his fellow soldiers -- the most egregious act one soldier, shipmate, airman or marine could commit. Those of us who believe we are rational people are trying to understand how a soldier can pick up a gun and fire it with the intent to kill his fellow comrades – those same comrades who in combat would have risked their lives for him. There is no rational explanation for what happened. All we can do is learn from this – find ways to make sure this never happens again.

In hindsight there were probably clear indications to suggest this man was not suitable for the Army and was possibly a threat to himself and others. There will be investigations, there will even be finger pointing. Ultimately, we have to understand that sometimes we cannot predict human behavior. We don’t expect an individual who has taken the Hippocratic Oath and sworn to respect for all human life to commit such a heinous act. Now we must focus on the families and offer them our support.

Those of us who practice a religion should to pray to the God of our understanding whether we call our God Jehovah, Allah or Buddha and ask our God to be with families of our fallen comrades and the families of the wounded warriors and our nation.

Today is Veterans Day, which began as Armistice Day to honor veterans of World War I. In the British Isle today is Remembrance Day in commemoration of sacrifices made during World War I and November 11th 1918 the end of WWI.
Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, Armistice Day: The Differences | The News is NowPublic.com

Whether the day is called Veterans Day, Armistice Day of Remembrance Day, it is a wonderful opportunity to pause and thank the men and women who have serve our nation so gallantly. It is an opportunity to thank them for going into harm’s way to protect our nation. This is particularly poignant for today’s service members who are a part of an all volunteer force – the men and women of today’s military have all volunteered they were not drafted – they chose to wear the uniform. Regardless of our view about war these men and women deserve to be honored for their service and sacrifices.