YOU CAN CELEBRATE OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM AT ANY AGE. THIS WEEK IS ESPECIALLY GREAT FOR CELEBRATING, BECAUSE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH IS VETERANS DAY. THIS NATIONAL HOLIDAY IS OBSERVED EACH NOVEMBER AND HONORS THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED TIME IN THE MILITARY. THE HOLIDAY WAS FIRST CREATED IN 1918 TO MARK THE END OF WORLD WAR I.
BACK THEN, IT WAS CALLED ARMISTICE DAY. AN ARMISTICE IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN OPPOSITE SIDES IN A WAR TO STOP FIGHTING. IN THIS CASE THE GERMANS AGREED TO STOP FIGHTING WITH SEVERAL COUNTRIES CALLED THE ALLIES, WHICH INCLUDED AMERICA. AFTER WORLD WAR II AND THE KOREAN WAR, IN 1954 THE NAME OF THE HOLIDAY WAS CHANGED TO VETERANS DAY, TO HONOR THOSE WHO FOUGHT IN MORE OF THE COUNTRY’S WARS.
DURING THE VIETNAM WAR AMERICANS WORE BRACELETS LIKE THIS ONE TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR MILITARY MEN WHO WERE MISSING IN ACTION OR WHO HAD BEEN CAPTURED AS PRISONERS OF WAR. THE BRACELETS WERE ENGRAVED WITH THE NAMES AND DATE THE TROOPER WENT MISSING. AMERICANS AT HOME WOULD WEAR THE BRACELETS UNTIL THE MEN WERE FOUND.
VETERANS DAY IS A GOOD TIME TO LEARN ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN HISTORY. MAYBE SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY SERVED IN THE MILITARY OR A CLOSE FAMILY FRIEND? IF SO, THEY MIGHT HAVE SOME MEMORABILIA TO SHARE. MEMORABILIA ARE OBJECTS THAT ARE COLLECTED OR SAVED BECAUSE OF THEIR TIE TO HISTORY, LIKE THE BRACELET OR THESE DOG TAGS THAT WERE WORE BY TROOPERS IN BATTLE. THIS BRINGS US TO OUR POLL QUESTION. WE WANT TO KNOW “DO YOU HAVE A RELATIVE WHO IS A VETERAN?” YOU CAN ANSWER YES OR NO. MY ANSWER FOR EXAMPLE – WOULD BE YES, BECAUSE MY FATHER AND SEVERAL UNCLES SERVED IN THE MILITARY. NOW, BEFORE ‘YOU’ ANSWER -- YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOME HOMEWORK, AND ASK YOUR FAMILY AT HOME BEFORE ANSWERING. AND WHILE YOU’RE CHATTING WITH YOUR MOM OR DAD OR AUNT OR GRANDPA OR WHOEVER... ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY MEMORABILIA FROM THEIR TIME IN THE MILITARY. WRITE TO US AND TELL US ABOUT THEIR STORY OR SEND US A PICTURE OF THE AT-HOME ARTIFACTS. WE’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT. HERE’S THE STORY OF ONE FIGHTER’S BRACELET THAT FOUND ITS WAY HOME…
TOM BEAUDOIN SAYS HE WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR SOMEONE HAD FOUND HIS FATHER'S BRACELET FROM WORLD WAR TWO.
"Somehow the bracelet found its way to the shores of the Hudson River."
THAT'S WHERE TOWN OF COLONIE ATTORNEY MIKE MAGGIULLI FOUND IT.
(Mike Maggiulli, Colonie Town Attorney) "I got a good sound on my detector. It was about five inches down, and I dug it up and found this bracelet."
HIS NEXT THOUGHT WAS TO SEEK OUT THE BEAUDOIN FAMILY.
(Mike Maggiulli, Colonie Town Attorney) "This is the first time where I've ever found anything that had detail enough where I could trace."
WITH A LITTLE HELP, HE WAS ABLE TO TRACK BEAUDOIN DOWN AND RETURN THE BRACELET.
(Tom Beaudoin, Son of W.W.II Veteran) "A bracelet that my dad had back when he was 22-years old and enlisting in the army."
BEAUDOIN EVEN HAS THIS PHOTO WHERE HE BELIEVES HIS FATHER IS WEARING THE BRACELET.
(Tom Beaudoin, Son of W.W.II Veteran) "Dad was always fun and everything seemed to have a story or a complication to it."
MAGGIULLI SAYS HE KNEW HOW MUCH IT WOULD MEAN TO RETURN IT TO THE FAMILY. HE WAS REUNITED WITH HIS GRANDFATHER'S WORLD WAR ONE MEDALS JUST LAST YEAR.
(Mike Maggiulli, Colonie Town Attorney) "I thought it would be great to try and get it back to the family."
BEAUDOIN IS GRATEFUL TO BE REUNITED WITH THE BRACELET. SAYING THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY HIS DAD HAS CONTINUED TO TELL HIM STORIES.
(Tom Beaudoin, Son of World War II Veteran) "He believed in that kind of stuff, and he had that belief go into this children, too, there's a little mystery and magic out there."
Instructional Links
Website Article: Kids.gov, What’s the Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
https://kids.usa.gov/history/memorial-veterans-day/index.shtml
PDF: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day Teacher Resources
http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/docs/2011_veterans_day_teacher_guide.pdf
Website: Library of Congress, Veterans History Project
Website Article: Kids.gov, What’s the Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_i/end_of_ww1_post_war.php
Encyclopedia Article: Salem Press Encyclopedia, Research Starters, Armistice
May Need Password
Website Article: Ohio History Connection, Call for Military Memorabilia, Veterans and Their Families Can Contribute to State’s Military History