Today's DAR
As the descendants of our nation’s first service members, I know that you will pause with me this week to honor our veterans. As the daughter of a World War II Navy Navigator, I was raised to respect those who sacrificed in uniform for our nation. As the mother of a U.S. Army Captain, mine is a heart that is most grateful for the men and women who voluntarily sacrifice today in order to protect our American way of life. That heart aches at the thought of the agonizing loss of a child, parent, spouse or loved one on the battlefield -- a loss made even more poignant when remains cannot be returned to loved ones.
Honoring Our Veterans, Remembering the Unknowns
It was therefore a privilege for me to recently discuss our National Society with the President of the Society of the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We are distinctly honored to be partnering with the Guard to commemorate the upcoming centennial of the Tomb in 2021; learn more by watching this 13-minute video of my interview, which also makes a great chapter program.
Daughters have paid respects at the Tomb since its 1921 Armistice Day dedication. We first took part in ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol by laying a wreath in memory of the unknown war dead of World War I. The following day, we participated in the procession to Arlington National Cemetery. Though five seats were reserved for DAR officers, the crowd was so great that our representatives were unable to make their way through the throng to use them. I am proud to say that we have been more successful in the years since – returning faithfully each year to place a memorial wreath at the Tomb in somber ceremonies that honor those lost in battle.
We accept the same sense of duty, obligation and solemnity as we fulfill our commitment to partner with the Society of the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate its centennial in 2021 – though we are now charged with helping to spread awareness of its purpose across the nation. I respectfully ask you to begin planning now to ensure that we leave a lasting legacy from this commemoration.
Get started by visiting the Commemorative Events Committee webpage on the members’ website to find many resources, including recommended reading and videos suitable for chapter programs. You will also find Chapter Minutes that may be used for monthly meetings.
But I ask you to also think beyond your traditional chapter meetings to leave a truly impactful legacy. Please reach out to veterans’ groups and community leaders to begin your planning now to stage a large-scale, visible, community-wide commemoration. It is possible for you to plant a “Never Forget” Garden, with its beautiful and moving plaque? Can your chapter erect a marker to honor America’s unknown war dead through the centuries? Are you able to support a local VA medical facility in a substantive way in order to honor the centennial of the Tomb?
If those types of ceremonies seem too difficult for your chapter, here are three ways that every chapter can get involved:
1. Take part in the National Salute. At 11:00 a.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, 2021, churches, fire stations and other buildings will ring their bells 21 times followed by a moment of silence – something you can encourage in your community. This was first conducted during the burial of the World War I Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in 1921. This also reflects Title 36 United States Code (USC) § 145 (Veterans Day) which calls upon the President of the United States to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the Nation.
2. Reach out to your local schools to urge them to take part in our annual American History Essay Contest. I am pleased to report that the theme for 2021-2022 is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as we encourage young people to learn more about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
3. Stage a chapter program about the Guards. Visit www.TombGuard.org to learn more about these outstanding Americans. You may even request a Guard representative to provide a free educational presentation for your chapter and community; complete the online request form here: https://tombguard.org/society/programs/.
Join with me to help fulfill the charge of the official Centennial Committee to remind Americans that, “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is not just about World War I; it is about every individual who has ever served - or will ever serve - and America’s promise to them that they will never forget them… This is that sacred place we remember why millions of our countrymen have fought and died for our liberty and our freedom, and it fosters a unifying national identity that transcends our differences of the politics, race or religion.”
There are few places that are more sacred to Americans than the Tomb of the Unknowns. As was so eloquently stated on March 9, 1921, by New York Congressman Hamilton Fish III (whom I interviewed many times as a news reporter in the 1980s), when he asked Congress to “…bring home the body of an unknown American warrior who in himself represents no section, creed, or race in the late war and who typifies, moreover, the soul of America and the supreme sacrifice of her heroic dead.”
There is, indeed, perhaps no better symbol of “the soul of America and the supreme sacrifice of her heroic dead” than the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. Join me to mark its centennial and raise anew an appreciation for its poignant symbolism – we owe nothing less to those who never returned home from the field of battle.
