The armistice to end the “Great War” or “The War to End All Wars” was signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.  WWI ravaged Europe with unprecedented death and destruction.  With over 35 million casualties, the world had never witnessed almost 10 million battlefield deaths and almost 7 millions civilian deaths.

For the moment, the world was determined not to repeat the carnage, so Armistice Day was set to honor the dead and commemorate that commitment.  President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day in 1919.  Congress officially recognized Armistice Day in 1926 making it a legal holiday in 1938.

The world was sadly mistaken and an even more terrible war (85+ millions casualties) plagued the planet just two decades later.  With over 12 million Veterans after WWII, Raymond Weeks believed all Veterans should be honored, so he organized the first “National Veterans Day” celebration in Birmingham, Alabama in 1947.  The Federal Government changed Armistice Day to the Veterans Day holiday we celebrate in 1954.

Other than a couple decade lapse in the 1960s and 70s when hippies and other media ne’er-do-wells maligned our servicemen, Americans are generally appreciative of those who have worn the nation’s cloth.  However, the governments we elect do not reflect our affections for our military.

The most important thing we owe those who will go into harm’s way on our behalf is competent leadership of the highest integrity.  Instead, we have burdened our service members with an utterly incompetent corrupt America hating Commander-In-Chief.  Epitomized by the Benghazi debacle, Obama’s feckless half-baked foreign policy has created a boiling global cauldron of discontent and danger.

American troops are haphazardly dispatched to hotspots ill-equipped on ill advised unclear missions with constraining confusing rules of engagement.  There are no clear objectives, so they remain loitering targets.  They are regularly assassinated by random alleged allies and routinely stranded in unsupported missions the administrations hates to even call combat.

Why would we want our sons and daughters to run before Obama’s chariots for no particular reason?  Do we not value our children more than superficial Washington politics?

To add insult to injury, we subject our Armed Forces to all manner of social experiments.  Spitting in the face of God, the US military has endorsed homosexuality and protected it as normal moral activity, but perversion never ends.  DOD is on the verge of protecting transgender service members, so unstable individuals can select their gender.

If calling the immoral moral were not bad enough, DOD is actively persecuting Christians because Biblical morality contradicts the New Age ordained perversion they have declared to be the new mainstream morality.  DOD is eager to promote the LGBT agenda, but determined to not tolerate any proselytizing of the Christian faith that granted a long American tradition of victory.

It’s quite stunning how many cultures fail to learn the hard lessons of the Israelites.  When you turn from God, He will not deliver your enemy into your hand.

America also has a shameful record of caring for our Veterans.  Despite decades of promises, VA scandals and shoddy service go largely unresolved.  We owe our Veterans proper care for their tremendous sacrifices, but make no mistake – Veterans do not serve for the pay and benefits!

American Veterans are not mercenaries or pirates.  They volunteer for the higher purpose of protecting our God given rights in the unique form of American freedom.  Swearing to uphold the Constitution, their devotion to liberty and safety for their fellow citizens is breathtakingly admirable.

Only two people have ever offered to die for you, Our Lord Jesus Christ and the American Serviceman.  For such a tremendous gift, we owe infinite gratitude.  The least we could do for our military is give them the best honest leaders available.

 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13

Pete Riehm is the host of Common Sense Radio heard 8pm every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com.  Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net.