Andrew Clyde: “It was indeed the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918. World War I, the war to end…”

“It was indeed the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918. World War I, the war to end all wars, was finally over. It was called Armistice Day. Today, it is called Veterans Day, and it is the day we honor the service and sacrifice of all veterans, those living and those who have gone before us. This coming Veterans Day is not about having another day off work. It is not about enjoying another Federal holiday where we have an opportunity to uncover the grill. It is about honoring those who have served our country and sacrificed so we can live in freedom in the greatest Nation on the Earth. Madam Speaker, I grew up in Canada. My mom was Canadian and my father was a U.S. citizen and a U.S. Navy officer in the Korean war. In Canada, we didn't call November 11th Veterans Day, we called it Remembrance Day; and we always wore a red poppy to remind everyone of the sacrifices made for freedom. This is a picture of one right here. The poem ``In Flanders Fields'' from World War I talks about those poppies. As an elementary school student, I was required to memorize that poem. I think everyone should know that poem, because it is so powerful. The symbol of the poppy for remembrance, however, did not come from Canada. It came from my home State of Georgia, from a professor at the University of Georgia named Moina Michael.…”