Veterans Day: to honor those who served

Confused about the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

Memorial Day was first observed in 1868 and honors those who gave

their lives serving in the armed forces. Veterans Day, on the other

hand, honors all those who have served our country in the military

whether in peacetime or in armed conflict.

Veterans Day always occurs on Nov. 11 because it was originally

set aside as a holiday on Nov. 11, 1919, and was called Armistice

Day. A year earlier, on the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th

month, World War I came to an end with the signing of the Armistice.

The “war to end all wars” had ended.

In 1938, Congress made Armistice Day a national holiday, but it

was clear that all wars had not come to an end. In the early 1950s,

the people of Emporia, Kansas began celebrating a Veterans Day in

gratitude to their own veterans of the wars that followed 1918. Soon

after, a Kansas congressman introduced a bill, which Congress made

official in 1954, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. (Just as a

footnote to the confusion, President Nixon changed the day to the

second Monday in November, but it has been since moved back to Nov.

11, except when it falls on a weekend, and then the federal holiday

is on the following Monday.)

To honor American veterans, the Newport Beach Public Library would

like to suggest that you take advantage of their video and DVD

collection. There are many outstanding movies that depict the

hardship, the courage, the loss and the triumphs experienced by the

American men and women who have served in our armed forces in all of

our wars.

From “The Last of the Mohicans,” based on James Fenimore Cooper’s

account of the French and Indian Wars, to the documentary “21 Days to

Baghdad,” released just this year, there are many films depicting

many conflicts from which to choose. Watching them can provide an

evening’s pleasure, but can also remind us to honor our veterans.

Notable films would include the recent A&E; original film “The Lost

Battalion,” about the 308th, which was cut off in the Argonne Forest

and withheld a five-day German attack in the closing days of World

War I.

Terrence Malick’s cinematic poem about Guadalcanal, based on James

Jones’ book “The Thin Red Line,” paints incisive portraits of the men

who served in the Pacific.

“Saving Private Ryan” opens with arguably the most realistic

portrayal ever of D-Day and the harrowing hours spent by our first

men to land in Europe.

“Go Tell the Spartans” depicts the early days of our involvement

in Vietnam, while “Apocalypse Now” paints a surreal portrait of the

surreal endings of that strife.

There are also great classic war films such as “Tora! Tora!

Tora!,” “Sergeant York” and “Stalag 17.”

Other conflicts have been vividly reproduced in dramatic films and

outstanding documentaries. Compare “Glory,” the award-winning Civil

War movie about the African-American 54th Massachusetts, with “The

Civil War,” the award-winning series by Ken Burns.

For a taste of the Spanish-American War, watch “Rough Riders.”

Contrast this with our harrowing intervention in Somalia in “Black

Hawk Down.”

The five-part video series “The Korean War,” produced in Korea,

and the six-part series “Liberty! The American Revolution,” produced

by PBS, demonstrate the power of the documentarian’s art.

From “The Deerslayer,” set in Colonial wartime, to “Courage Under

Fire,” set in the Gulf War, the film industry has made some

outstanding movies and documentaries about the wars and the people

who served in them. They should all give us a moment’s pause to honor

those who serve or support our country’s endeavors in such dangerous

places and under such demanding circumstances.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Sara Barnicle. All titles may be

reserved from home or office by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach library.org.