Vets and Vets Day
Armistice participants and train car, November 11 1918 (wikipedia)
November 11, 1918.
5:00 am, Compiegne Forest, 50 miles north of Paris, France.
Germany and various Allied countries sign the armistice that would end fighting on the western front six hours later at 11:00 am Paris time.
Twenty years later, the US Congress officially designated November 11 as Armistice Day. Following World War Two and the Korean War, legislation replaced the word Armistice with Veterans, creating Veterans Day.
While you may not have tons of time today to focus on Veterans Day, don’t be afraid to use some of the resources listed below later in your instruction. Some good stuff here!
Start with Veterans’ Stories from the Library of Congress Teachers page. You’ll find audio clips, video clips and stories from their Veterans History Project that can be viewed or downloaded as well as a Teacher’s Guide.
History Tech 
Readers may also be interested in the writings home from the front of US Sgt. Sam Avery during the Great War (World War I). Fascinating eyewitness history from the hot sands along the Rio Grande to the cold mud along the Meuse.
This blog is an adventure long in the making for me in honor of my own family hero. Letters are posted on the same day they were written from the trenches 91 years ago. Today I found myself staring at my watch counting down the minutes to 1100 hrs.
Long before the Greatest Generation there was the Most Gallant Generation. Stop by and come march along…
http://worldwar1letters.wordpress.com
World War 1 Letters looks incredibly interesting! Thanks for sharing.
What a great resource for World and US History teachers – a nice collection of first person accounts. I also like the photos and other artifacts. Are those from Sam as well?
glennw
Yes they are. I’m fortunate to be the custodian for the collection. As a former 9-12 History teacher I felt the obligation to bring them to light but never expected the response the site has received.
Richard,
Am planning a post today on Soldier’s Mail and hope to include your contact information if teachers have questions or would like to get a hold of you for more details on Sam. Email to glennw@essdack.org or post another comment.
Thanks in advance!
glennw
Hi Glenn:
Saw the post and must thank you so very much for your kind words!
I am very happy to be a resource for anyone regarding details on Sam and his times. I have worked with a number of secondary-level educators who have utilized Soldier’s Mail as a dynamic primary resource when studying the early 20th Century and the First World War in American History.
I respond to all comments posted on the site, and I can also be reached by email at soldiersmail@comcast.net.
Stay tuned for the book!
Best Regards,
Rich Landers
Rich,
Thanks for being willing to share your time and resources! I will post your contact info into the actual post as well.
Have a great week!
glennw