As the number of veterans dwindles and American patriotism wanes in the post-Cold War era, Veterans Day is drifting slowly out of the nation's consciousness, a trend that disturbs former members of the armed services and their supporters.
Les Dasch, the American Legion Post 7 commander, said he has seen this apathy firsthand at previous Veterans Day celebrations in downtown Durham. "We'll be singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' and people just walk on by. We'll be pledging allegiance to the flag, and people just walk on by," he said. "It's a shame."
President Woodrow Wilson created the holiday as Armistice Day in 1919 on the first anniversary of the agreement ending World War I, and the day was later expanded to honor all veterans.
Lt. Col. William Adams, battalion commander of Duke's Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps, said that with the end of the draft and the shrinking of the World War II generation, fewer Americans know people in the armed services, making the public less conscious of soldiers' importance. "There are less people who have direct connections-a brother, a father, an uncle-who have had service in the military," he said.
The decreasing prominence of Veterans Day mirrors the loss of the original meaning of other American holidays, including Labor Day and even Christmas, said Peter Feaver, an associate professor of political science who studies the relationship between civilians and the military.
According to a recent study by Feaver and others, the discord between these two groups is growing nationally. In addition, he said, today's college students are particularly separated from the armed services, partly because most people of their parents' generation did not serve in the Vietnam War.
"[This] generation's experience with war is really an MTV-like experience," Feaver said. "The wars are short, they happen on TV, they don't interrupt your life very much." Unlike the two world wars, he said, the Persian Gulf War and other recent conflicts have not gripped the country for years on end.
Dasch, the American Legion commander, said he hoped that through education, Americans can recapture their patriotism and respect for soldiers' sacrifices.
Dasch invited citizens to his group's ceremony today in front of the old Durham County courthouse. The event begins at 11 a.m.-to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when the armistice was signed.
Adams, who gives his staff and students the day off, said ROTC members will be visiting the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Thursday to talk with patients.
Dan Mueller, administrative assistant to the VA's director, encouraged people to remember veterans' sacrifices. "Take the time to try to think of someone in your family... who you know served in the military, call them, thank them, then ask them about their experiences," he said.
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