Veterans Day (f/k/a Armistice Day)

Veterans Day originated from the cessation of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Which is why to this day, ceremonies on this day are observed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month each year as a reminder of the "war to end all wars." This is a day that honors those who at one time or another spoke up and said, "Send me." And to the military, this is a day we recognize your sacrifices, your sense of duty, and your love for this country.

Veterans Day honors ALL who have served. To read more about veterans from wars, please visit the Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library Bookstore and preview the collection of books about veterans who served our country.

Below is a sampling of Veterans-focused books currently in found our Bookstore:

The Nightingales Song by Robert Timberg

Robert Timberg weaves together the lives of Annapolis graduates John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter to reveal how the Vietnam War continues to haunt America. They are secret sharers, men whose experiences at Annapolis and during the Vietnam War and its aftermath illuminate a generation‑those who went. They shared a seemingly unassailable certainty. They believed in America.

Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitler's War Machine by Barrett Tillman

The U.S. Army Air Forces waged an unprecedentedly dogged and violent campaign against Hitler’s vital oil production and industrial plants on the Third Reich’s southern flank. Flying from southern Italy, far from the limelight enjoyed by the Eighth Air Force in England, the Fifteenth Air Force engaged in high-risk missions spanning most of the European continent.

It Happened on the Way to War by Rye Barcott

The book is a true story of sacrifice and courage and the powerful melding of military and humanitarian service. It's a story of what America's role in the world could be. In 2000, Rye Barcott spent part of his summer living in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. He was a college student heading into the Marines, and he sought to better understand ethnic violence-something he would likely face later in uniform.

If you are curious of other important military dates of note, you can press this link. I was today year's old when I found out that "National Wreaths Across America" is observed on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday in December. It is a campaign meant to place wreaths at the grave sites of our veterans. And to all those who have served or are serving, from all of our volunteers and Board Members, We Thank You For Your Service.