Scene nearby: On 100th anniversary of WWI armistice, remembering those who served

More than 250 veterans, scouts, families, elected officials and grateful citizens of all ages and backgrounds came together on a sunny Nov.11 Sunday morning at the Lynnwood Veterans Plaza to pause, remember and express gratitude for the sacrifices made by all those who have served in the U.S. military to defend our freedoms.

“It was 100 years ago today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 that the Guns of August fell silent, ending the most horrific war mankind had ever known,” began emcee Martin Spani, Marine Corps veteran and past commander of Lynnwood VFW Post 1040. “President Woodrow Wilson declared it ‘the war to end all wars,’ but sadly Wilson’s dream was not to be. Since then the men and women of our armed forces have been called again and again to go into harm’s way to defend and preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. On this day we come together to honor all veterans regardless of whether they served in war or peace for the sacrifices they willingly made to ensure these freedoms.”

Joining Spani were the Northwest Junior Pipe Band, contingents from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel

  1. Really WWI and WWII were the same war with a brief pause in between them. Entangling Alliances is just a way to say that new nations, which were formally territories and city-states scrambled to draw borders and fought over eachothers claim, and allied over claims. Government and the nation, and the ability to tax, was the cause for war. Socialism caused WWI, as the first thing needed for the government to provide social services is a list of people who will pay into them and receive the benefits, which is a border. People fought over what the nation was, what the identity was, who the border was drawn around, rights to tax (aka sovereign). The Treaty of Versailles was less a treaty and more of a punitive prison sentence, and arguably the cause of WWII. In the US, sub prime tractor loans, easy credit, and increased spending under Hoover turned a recession into the Great Depression. Instead of doing nothing like Harding did during the Recession of 1921, FDR tried to further stimulate the economy out of the Depression. War production for allies, then eventually war declaration was a government jobs program, the reason for US involvment in WWII. As we go forward, from city states and regional power, to nations, to globalism… WWIII could very well be over world government, nationalism being the new small government. Proxy wars are the new tool to keep the fighting going.

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