Veterans Day

"An American Parachutist preparing to board the plane for the jump across the Rhine River." Robert Capa (1945)

Today is Veterans Day, a national holiday on which we honour those who served in the armed forces. I’m at work (television must go on) but am thinking about the many brave men and women (including my parents) who have donned the uniform for their country.

And because I’ve been thinking about Robert Capa lately forever, I give you this image he took for Life Magazine on March 24, 1945 of paratrooper James “Jim” P. Conboy Jr. of HQ Company, 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. Capa jumped into Germany with him and the rest of the Regiment that day in an assault called Operation Varsity. The 19-year old Conboy was wounded afterwards and lost his right leg. He received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star and lived to be 78. 

Veterans Day

"Near Troina, Sicily, August 4-5, 1943. Reconnaissance mission" Robert Capa (1943)

World War I officially ended on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. Today that date is celebrated as Veterans Day in the US (Armistice Day and Remembrance Day elsewhere) and honours veterans of all of the armed services. 

Yesterday I started reading Robert Capa's Slightly Out of Focus, his memoir about his experiences as a war photographer during World War II. Filled with descriptions of the realities of war along with a healthy dose of humour, it's an excellent read that reminds us of some of the sacrifices made by those who serve. Get a copy here.

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day in the States, a holiday that honors all military veterans. But before 1954, it was observed as Armistice Day in memory of the end of World War I (the Armistice was signed by the Germans on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, formally ending major hostilities). 

The “War to End All Wars” did everything but end all wars (many would argue that it led directly to World War II) but instead marked a loss of innocence and the arrival of the modern age. So today, lets not forgot those who originally inspired this holiday and remember the sacrifices they made on the fields of Europe and elsewhere.