By Mike Weland
It wasn’t General Black Jack Pershing who gets credit for Veteran’s Day, even though the holiday officially falls on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — Armistice Day in 1918. It wasn’t Sergeant Alvin York, ace Eddie Rickenbacker, or private Henry Johnson, each of them World War I recipients of the Medal of Honor.
It wasn’t Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton, Hap Arnold or George C. Marshall, each of whom served in the Great War and went on to help win World War II as that war’s leading generals. It wasn’t Dwight D. Eisenhower, who mostly trained tank crews in Pennsylvania during the Great War but who reached the greatest of heights as a United States soldier and went on to play an important role in the message retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and Nurse JoAnne Danner shared Monday as guest speaker at Boundary County’s Veteran’s Day ceremony.
It didn’t even happen in 1918, but 35 years later, not in the places of history or the halls of power, but in the great big middle of this great and majestic nation.
Alvin King, Emporia, Kansas, never wore a military uniform, but instead the leather apron of a cobbler, a fixer of shoes. He’d been too young to serve in World War I, too old to serve in World War II. He knew little to nothing about military service, Danner said, but he knew just about everyone in Lyle County, Kansas, especially those with Blue Star banners in their windows.
In 1920, the American Legion called for “Armistice Day” to be made a national holiday. In 1938 it was. In 1953, Alvin King said, “wait a minute, nope, uh uh.” That most terrible “War to End All Wars” paled in comparison to World War II, inflicted on the world by a failed artist and lackluster German WWI corporal named Adolph Hitler.
On November 11, 1953, King and his fellow Kansas Emporians made a subtle change … in recognition of the greatest generation of Americans who helped the world prevail against fascism. Instead of Armistice Day, the citizens of Emporia celebrated “All Veterans Day.”
It was, JoAnne painted in words, an affair still remembered today … a parade the envy of all parades, not just on city streets, but roaring and swooping overhead, Marine fighter planes exuberantly celebrating peace rather than prosecuting war. Somehow, word of Alvin’s celebration spread beyond Emporium city limits. It may have helped that the governor, a senator and other esteemed guests were in Emporia that day.
On October 8, 1954, President Eisenhower forever changed Armistice Day, proclaiming “on that day, let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom. Who honorably served in our nation’s military since the Revolutionary War.”
“I share the story of Alvin King as a reminder our life away from the battle field is important,” she said, no stranger to deployments – – to Afghanistan in 1997 and 1999, to medical stations there and here. “As veterans and civilians, what we do in and for our community matters.”
Margaret Pyette says she has never served in the military, though she readily concedes how much she looks up to those in her family, to include her dad and two brothers, who have. Her favorite day of the year, she says with conviction, is Veteran’s Day.
For 14 years, Margaret has handcrafted two quilts each year so beautifully made, so intricate, they are far more heirloom works of art than cozy warmth on cool nights. While Margaret never donned a U.S. military uniform, those who’ve received one of her quilts and the many veterans who’ve attended the Boundary County Veterans Day ceremonies marked by the presentation of Margaret’s Valor Quilts would likely refute her contention that she’s never served, pointing aptly to JoAnne’s words, “what we do in and for our community matters.”
What Margaret has done for our community’s veterans means the world to them … and it matters. And she’s not planning to end her Veterans Day tradition anytime soon. The material used as the foundation for each quilt arrived unexpectedly one day, part of an order in the fabric and quilting shop she once ran on Harrison Street, the Alley Fabric Nook, she confided before Monday’s ceremony.
Recognizing as soon as she saw it how perfect it would be for her Valor Quilts, so she never put that lot on the shelf, instead buying it herself and setting it aside solely for use in her two quilts per year.
After this year’s quilts, she has enough of the unique material for 30 more quilts.
This year’s quilts were presented to the county’s oldest living veteran, Restorium resident Eddie Belakiewicz, Navy, who recently celebrated his 99th birthday, and to guest speaker JoAnn Danner.
A change to how quilt recipients are selected next year. In years past it became practice to award quilts to the oldest Boundary County veterans, typically male and female, but it turns out that wasn’t a mandate. Beginning next year, honorees will be chosen by consensus vote of the local VFW, DAV and American Legion members.
Thanks go out to American Legion Post 55 Commander Joe Knight, who did an exceptional job organizing and hosting his first Veterans Day observance, to chaplain Jeffrey Phillips, Tom Chaney and the American Legion Color Guard, to the mixed Boundary County Middle School and Bonners Ferry High School Choir for a beautiful performance and to Tartan and Thistle for all the contented sighs and full bellies!
