WINSTON WEEKLY©[1]

November 9, 2025

Vol. 3, No. 45

HONOR AND SERVICE[2]

November offers an abundance of reflections regarding military service. Since 1954, the United States has recognized November 11 as Veterans Day, honoring all United States military service members. Previously known as Armistice Day, it is the anniversary of the Armistice of 1918, the day that Germany agreed to end the hostilities that led to World War I. Although frequently referred to as the end of World War I, formalized peace terms occurred over the next two years, with Germany officially surrendering in 1919.

Our Canadian friends to the north and those in Australia observe Remembrance Day on November 11, with Canadians honoring those serving or who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces. Unlike Veterans Day in the United States, Canadians wear red poppies on Remembrance Day in honor of those who died in service. Australia honors those who died in service, with a minute’s silence at 11:00 a.m.

The Second Sunday of November, Britain observes Remembrance Sunday, honoring those who have died in wartime and other conflicts. The British Empire lost more than 1.1 million individuals in World War I. On Remembrance Sunday, a two-minute nationwide silence is held at 11:00 a.m., and wreaths bearing poppies are laid at war memorials. A national service is held in Whitehall, London at The Cenotaph. The word cenotaph has Greek origins meaning “empty tomb.” The Cenotaph memorial has drawn millions of visitors since it was erected in 1920.

Prince Harry’s recent post regarding Britain’s Remembrance Day ties together the multiple ways in which people near and far honor the military, saying in part: “So, as we bow our heads…, let us remember not only the fallen, but the living – those who still carry the weight of war in body and mind, and the family who bear its memory in their hearts. If you live near them, knock on their door. If you see them around, shake their hand.”

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Reflect on ways you and your family and friends can honor the military beyond a parade or ceremony and on a consistent basis. Whether it is taking a military family meals a couple of times a year or sharing time with children of military parents, the difference you make will have an impact long after November.

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[1] A Sunday newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles to be shared with the appropriate attribute.

[2]Resources: Arthur Walworth, Wilson and His Peacemakers: American Diplomacy at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919, WW Norton & Co, Inc.; Prince Harry, The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What it Means to be British, Nov. 5, 2025; Allison Patterson, Australia Remembers: Anzac Day, Remembrance Day & War Memorials, Big Sky Publishing, 2021; Heather C. Dudak, Canadian Celebrations Remembrance Day, Sonsuh Educational Supplies, Product  No. SB83643 (Heather’s book is for K-2. Sonsuh is 100% Canadian owned and operated.). In the United States, those who have lost their lives in service are honored on Memorial Day.