Honoring our Halls Veterans

Over the past 245+ years, the men, and later women, of Halls Crossroads have fought to protect our country in wars, both foreign and domestic.  To remember and celebrate those who have served we have observed Veterans Day since 1919.

On June 28, 1919, WWI had officially ended with the Treaty of Versailles, in the Palace of Versailles in France. However, the fighting continued for an additional seven months and finally ended with an armistice, or a peace agreement, between the Allied Nations and Germany on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.  The observance began on the first anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I and became known as Armistice Day.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs website details our observance of Veterans Day with this short history:

In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans. 

The Unknown soldier lays in state at the Capitol in November 1921.  Thousands of visitors paid their respects before the casket was moved to Arlington National Cemetery for burial.

The United States is not the only country that recognizes their veterans.  Other countries that had lost soldiers in World War I (WWI) have established a similar holiday that is observed each year. Like the US, similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting. 

Did you know that red poppies have become a symbol around the world for remembering veterans? The significance of the red poppy dates back to World War I when Col. John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada’s First Brigade Artillery, wrote a poem called “In Flanders Fields” expressing his grief over the rows and rows of poppies among the graves of soldiers who had died on Flanders’ battlefields. Two women, Anna E. Guerin and Moina Michael were so touched by his poem that they started a fundraiser selling artificial poppies to help orphans and others affected by the war. In 1920, with the help of the American Legion, Guerin brought the sale of artificial poppies to the U.S. Michael joined forces with Guerin and the Veterans of Foreign Wars to further promote this symbol. It became so popular that a poppy shortage in France prompted the construction of a poppy-making factory in Pittsburgh, Pa. which provided a reliable source of poppies and a means of assistance to veterans. Today, veterans at Veterans Affairs facilities continue to help assemble the red poppies, which are distributed by veterans organizations around the country.

Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was “the War to end all wars,” November 11 might still be called Armistice Day

 The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized “National Veterans Day,” which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on November 11 which was still designated Armistice Day.  Weeks’ local parade and ceremonies are now an annual event celebrated nationwide. Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982.

By 1954, our country survived two more major wars, WWII and the Korean War. American effort during World War II (1941-1945) saw the greatest mobilization of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force in the nation’s history with 16.5 million Americans taking part; 407,000 of those died in service, more than 292,000 in battle.  Nearly 1 million more served in the Korean War (1950).  

On Memorial Day 1958, two more unidentified American war dead were brought from overseas and interred in the plaza beside the unknown soldier of World War I. One was killed in World War II, the other in the Korean War. In 1984, an unknown serviceman from the Vietnam War was placed alongside the others. The remains from Vietnam were exhumed May 14, 1998, identified as Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, and removed for burial.

Approximately 5.9 million veterans served in Vietnam from 1965 until 1973. Another nearly 7.8 Million veterans served during the Gulf War era including Dessert Shield, Dessert Storm, Dessert Sabre and Iraq from Aug 1990 until Dec 2011.

To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.  A law passed in 1968 changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date. 

The focal point for official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day continues to be the memorial amphitheater built around the Tomb of the Unknowns. At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes “Present Arms” at the tomb. The nation’s tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath. The bugler plays “taps.” The rest of the ceremony takes place in the amphitheater.  Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington and elsewhere are coordinated by the President’s Veterans Day National Committee. Chaired by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the committee represents national veteran organizations.  Governors of many states and U.S. territories appoint Veterans Day chairpersons who, in cooperation with the National Committee and the Department of Defense, arrange and promote local ceremonies.   Additional information on the history of Veterans Day, the Veterans Day National Committee, the national ceremony, a gallery of Veterans Day posters from 1978 to the present can be found on the Internet at  http://www.va.gov/vetsday/.

Interesting facts about Veterans Day:

• Of the 16.5 million veterans from the WW2 era, approximately 167,000 were still alive in 2022.
• There is a Women Veterans Day. It is celebrated on June 12 marking the anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which President Harry S. Truman signed into law on June 12, 1948. Some states observe Women Veterans Day, but it’s not yet a nationally recognized holiday. Approximately 10% of all living veterans are women.
• President Ronald Reagan designated July 16, 1983, a one-time commemoration known as National Atomic Veterans Day. It honored atomic veterans, or “American military service members who participated in nuclear tests between 1945 and 1962, served with United States military forces in or around Hiroshima and Nagasaki through mid-1946 or were held as prisoners of war in or near Hiroshima or Nagasaki,” according to the White House.
• President Joe Biden brought back National Atomic Veterans Day on July 16, 2021. And in December of that year, he signed legislation into law making it an annual commemoration of atomic veterans’ service.
• March 13 is designated as National K9 Veterans Day which honors American military and working dogs throughout history.
• The New York City Veterans Day Parade—which takes place along Fifth Avenue—is both the largest and oldest Veterans Day parade in the country with the first parade held in 1919.

In the museum collection we have a volume of pictures of our veterans beginning with the Civil War era through World War II.  These pictures include:

The Civil War –

• Lieutenant William (Bill) Crippen, son of William Crippen. 
• William Hall, son of son of Judge William L. Hall. The picture notes that he was killed at the Knox County Court House in 1865.
• William Graybeal, Private, Company B of the Tennessee Calvary.  This picture is from the Millie Norris collection of family photos.  Note this picture is on a metal background which makes it appear very different from a normal picture on photographic paper.

The Spanish American War –

We only have one picture in the collection from this period.  The serviceman is Oscar Maples.

World War I –

We have a few pictures of our servicemen of this period including:

• Adrian Powell in his uniform.
• Burlie Mynatt who was killed in France in WWI.
• Flavis Mynatt
• Lum Grissom

World War II –

By far, the most extensive archive of our veteran pictures are from WWII.  Most of these are labeled with the identity of the serviceman. The volume also included newspaper clippings from the period detailing visits home, deaths and other notes of interest.

Newpaper Clippings from WWII

Korean War –

At this time, we do not have any Korean War veteran pictures.

Vietnam War and all Afghanistan or Iraq operations –

We have one “modern” photo of Ret. Army Brigadier General Gene Bayless.  He served from 1965 until his retirement in 2000.

If you or a family member served in the Korean, Vietnam or any of the Gulf Wars and you would like to add their picture to our Museum collection please use the CONTACT US button on the Museum Home Page. 

There are two ways to donate:

1. Outright donations of pictures or
2. if you prefer to keep your original pictures, we will scan and return your photos.

Here are a few more pictures from the Veterans Parade and the 2019 Veterans Day Lunch at Salem Baptist Church.

We hope you enjoyed this posting.

Thank you to all of our Veterans! We appreciate your service!