QUEEN CAFFEINE’S CASTLE DISPATCH

November 9, 2006~~Issue 6

We have an extra issue this week to announce the change in publication of the newsletter from every Monday to every Thursday.  Instead of waiting an extra half a week for a letter, you get an extra this week, one which is also in honor of Veterans Day this Saturday, November 11.

A BIT ABOUT VETERANS DAY

Veterans Day honors men and women who have served in the United States armed services. Veterans Day is a legal federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated on November 11th. The United Kingdom celebrates November 11 as Armistice Day. It is not a legal holiday, but special observances celebrate the armistice that ended World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. Canada has a legal holiday called Remembrance Day that is celebrated on November 11. Veterans Day celebrations in the United States include parades and speeches. Special services are held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Veterans Day.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war. A 1938 law made the day a federal holiday. In 1954, Congress changed the holiday's name to Veterans Day to honor all United States veterans.
~Above information from World Book Encyclopedia~

Veterans Day Presidential Proclamation

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2006, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 5 through November 11, 2006, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs. (more)

For a very detailed account of the creation of Veterans Day, go here:  http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

For the Kids, Various Grade Levels Are on Many of the Pages

Coloring pages, word searches, educational information, lots of interesting things, just take a look around!

http://www.annieshomepage.com/veterans.html

http://www.va.gov/kids/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/veterans/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/word-finds/veterans-day-word-find-easy.html

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/veterans-day/veteran-flyer.html

FACTS & FEATURES FROM THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Note: The data in this fact sheet come from Census 2000, unless otherwise indicated.

26.4 millionNumber of veterans in the United States; this is a ratio of about 1-in-8 U.S. civilians 18 and over, or 13 percent. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

6
Percentage of civilian veterans who were women. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

37
Percentage of veterans who were age 65 or over. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

2.6 million
Number of African American veterans. About 22.6 million were White; 1.1 million were Hispanic; 284,000 were Asian; and 196,000, American Indian or Alaska Native. (The numbers for African Americans, Whites, Asians and American Indians or Alaska Natives refer to those reporting a single race only.) <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

Also, among the nation's veterans:

Nearly 6 million, or a ratio of more than 1-in-5, served in World War II.

About 4 million, or nearly 1-in-6, served in the Korean War.

More than 8 million, or almost 1-in-3, served during the Vietnam era.

About 3 million, or about 1-in-9, served since August 1990, which includes Persian Gulf War veterans. (Data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicates that, as of 1999, there were 2.2 million Gulf War veterans.) <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
 <http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/01statab/defense.pdf>

Where Do They Live?

7Number of states with 1 million or more veterans. These states include California (2.6 million), Florida (1.9 million), Texas (1.8 million), New York (1.4 million), Pennsylvania (1.3 million), Ohio (1.1 million) and Illinois (1.0 million). <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

17Percentage of Alaska civilians 18 and over who were veterans, the highest rate in the country. Other states where 15 percent or more of the adult, civilian population were veterans included Arizona, Florida, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

Not surprisingly, large concentrations of veterans resided among the population living in or near military installations. Examples follow:

More than 7-in-10 adult civilians who lived at Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyo., and Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, were veterans (76 percent and 75 percent, respectively).

A ratio of more than 3-in-10 adult civilian residents of West

Point, N.Y.; Fort Meade, Md.; and Fort Lewis, Wash., were vets, as were 3-in-10 adult civilians in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; and Fort Belvoir, Va.

And, near U.S. Navy installations, about 3-in-10 adult civilians

in Coronado, Calif., and more than 3-in-10 in Lemoore Station, Calif., were veterans. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT

 http://www.loc.gov/vets//

ABOUT THE PROJECT:  The Veterans History Project relies on volunteers to collect and preserve stories of wartime service. 

Our primary focus is on first-hand accounts of
U.S. Veterans from the following 20th Century wars:

World War I (1914-1920)

World War II (1939-1946)

Korean War (1950-1955)

Vietnam War (1961-1975)

Persian Gulf War (1990-1995)

Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present)

In addition, those U.S. citizen civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.) are also invited to share their valuable stories.

How did the Veterans History Project start?

The United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The authorizing legislation (Public Law 106-380), sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate, received unanimous support and was signed into law by President William Jefferson Clinton on October 27, 2000.

 &

Q. What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

A. Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered on Veterans Day, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime.  In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty. A complete history of Veterans Day, and why it is observed on November 11, can be found on the Veterans Day History Web page. 

Q. Why are red poppies worn on Veterans Day, and where can I obtain them?

A. The wearing of poppies in honor of America's war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day. The practice of wearing of poppies takes its origin from the poem "In Flanders Fields," written in 1915 by John McCrae. Click here to read "In Flanders Fields." For information on how to obtain poppies for use on Memorial Day, contact a veterans service organization, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) or The American Legion, as a number of veterans organizations distribute poppies annually on Memorial Day.  You can find veterans groups in the Veterans Service Organization link on VA's Veterans Day web page. Veterans groups in your area can be found in your local phone book.  Look in the yellow pages under "Veterans and Military Organizations" or a similar heading.

Q. Is Veterans Day celebrated in other countries?

A. Yes, a number of countries honor their veterans each year on November 11, although the name and types of commemorations differ somewhat from Veterans Day celebrations in the United States. For example, Canada and Australia observe "Remembrance Day" on November 11, and Great Britain observes "Remembrance Day" on the Sunday nearest to November 11. There are similarities and differences between these countries' Remembrance Day and America's Veterans Day. Canada's observance is actually quite similar to the U.S. celebration, in that the day is intended to honor all who served in Canada's Armed Forces. However, unlike in the U.S., many Canadians wear red poppy flowers on November 11 in honor of their war dead. In Australia, Remembrance Day is very much like America's Memorial Day, a day to honor that nation's war dead.

In Great Britain, the day is commemorated by church services and parades of ex-service members in Whitehall, a wide ceremonial avenue leading from London's

Q. Why do some schools close and others remain in session on Veterans Day?

A. Because there is no legal requirement that schools close on Veterans Day, individual states or school districts are free to establish their own policies on school closings.  Most schools that do not close for Veterans Day schedule assemblies or other activities to honor America's veterans on Veterans Day and throughout the week that includes Veterans Day. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

VETERANS DAY PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the selfless service of those who gave their lives to protect our nation, preserve our freedoms, and restore peace in the face of brutal aggressors. Grant relief to those who continue to experience emotional or physical agony from their days of combat. Give us a sense of responsibility for their welfare. Comfort those who mourn for loved ones who died while performing their duty to our country. Enlist all who are in our military forces into your church militant, that they may pledge eternal loyalty to Christ, our King, and know his peace. Amen.