Monday is Veterans Day. The day was originally called Armistice Day, commemorating the close of World War I in 1919. However, the fighting ended about seven months before that when the Allies and Germany put into effect a truce or formal agreement on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Because of that, Nov. 11, 1918, was largely considered the end of “the war to end all wars” and called Armistice Day.

The following is a portion of an editorial published in The Minot Daily News on Nov. 11, 1991:

Regardless of the name, the meaning of the day is the same.

A day to recognize and honor the sacrifices of American veterans of war.

A day to remember that in war there is no glory, no beauty, no rules.

There is only misery, destruction, death.

In a perfect world, war is not necessary.

But the world is far from perfect; War is far from extinct.

It is a testament to humanity’s desire for peace that men and women seek to avoid wars.

It is also a testament to humanity’s courage that men and women go to fight war when it becomes sadly necessary.

The value of peace and freedom can be easily measured by the wars fought to establish and preserve those ideals:

The Revolutionary War.

World War I.

World War II.

Korean War.

Vietnam War.

Persian Gulf War.

Sadly, there are many other battles, many other wars that can be added to this list.

The statistics of war are nearly incomprehensible in terms of the millions killed, the millions injured and the incalculable loss to America with the destruction of entire generations of young people sent to battle.

But all it takes is one to render the meaning clear and understandable and unmistakable.

The death of just one person in defense of democracy makes freedom a priceless social treasure.

And that freedom has been purchased more than one million times by Americans.

So today, we honor those millions of Americans, past and present, who, understanding the responsibility that comes with enjoying the fruits of freedom and democracy, answered the call to arms when arms became necessary.

This is their day of honor.

We salute them.

Honor all veterans

Today Veterans Day honors all who have served, whether in times of peace or conflict.

A Veterans Day program, open to everyone, will be held in Minot on Monday at 11 a.m. in the Minot Municipal Auditorium Old Armory. A number of other communities in the area will also be holding Veterans Day programs. We urge everyone to attend a program in their area, and thank and honor those who served in the U.S. military.