11th Hour, 11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Year
Back in 1918, World War I ended on the the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — 11am on November 11th.
The next year, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that date to be Armistice Day, and the celebration of the end of that war became an annual event.
In the 1950s, it morphed into Veterans Day to honor everyone who’s ever donned an American military uniform.
There are many Veterans Day observances across the U.P.
But the ceremony at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette may be the best-known one.
Army Capt. Jason Rolling just returned from Afghanistan a week ago with the 1430th Engineering Company.
He’s amazed by the drive to succeed that soldiers have for their tasks.
Capt. Rolling says that especially applied to himself and his company in Afghanistan, saying if you go halfway around the world with a large number of Yoopers, they’ll constantly find ways to surprise you.
He says U.P. soldiers and their families aren’t the only ones who sacrifice, calling the Upper Peninsula a model for the rest of the world when it comes to honoring active-duty personnel and veterans.
The Forgotten Eagles also presented the home with $6,000 from this year’s fundraising efforts.
The nonprofit group counts many veterans among its members.