The 90th Anniversary of Armistice Day

2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice.



To honor this historic event I invite to join me at a special event.


Partners in Peace
Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of Armistice Day
7 PM, Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Brit’s Pub 1110 Nicollet Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403



Please click here for more details, and to RSVP.

Veterans, family, friends and interested parties are invited. We’ll be in Brit’s Pub’s Long Room, adjacent to their main bar on Nicollet Mall across from Peavy Plaza. There will be drink specials and a complimentary buffet, as well as a few speeches and period music. This is an informal event though, so there will be plenty of time to chat and socialize. We will pay special tribute to our allies in Peace and to some of America’s forgotten veterans, the mariners of the United States Merchant Marine. Merchant mariners were first to volunteer for service after the peace in Europe was shattered in 1939. They were the first to be lost at sea in WWII, first to be taken prisoner of war, and the last to come home. Merchant mariners did not receive the benefits that military veterans did, and only received limited status as military veterans after Congressional action in 1988.


Directions - Brit's Pub Long Room on Nicollet Mall is adjacent to Peavy Plaza, near Orchestra Hall. Parking available on 11th street with parking meters - 25 cents for 10 minutes, 4 hour limit. No charge with handicap parking tag. 11th street is one-way going West, and parking garages are also nearby.

I am also in the process of drafting a resolution that I plan to present at the event provided the City Council and Mayor to approve it. Here is the latest draft:

A Resolution Celebrating The 90th Anniversary of Armistice Day and Honoring the Veterans who have Served to Make Our Country and our City a Safer More Peaceful Place

WHEREAS, World War I, referred to then simply as the Great War, ended with the implementation of an armistice between the Allies and Germany at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of November, 1918; and,

WHEREAS, November 11, 2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the end of World War 1; and,

WHEREAS, President Woodrow Wilson spoke of the Armistice with the words: “victory has brought us, not peace alone, but the confident promise of a new day as well, in which justice shall replace force and jealous intrigue among the nations”; and,

WHEREAS, in 1938, Congress passed a bill to make November 11th a permanent day dedicated to the cause of world peace and known as Armistice Day; and,

WHEREAS, in 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law a bill broadening the meaning of the November 11th holiday to include all United States veterans; and,

WHEREAS, the people of Minneapolis have enjoyed the protection and service of members of the armed forces and the benefits that service has engendered; and,

WHEREAS, Minneapolis is home to a Veterans Administration Medical Center, which provided primary, specialty, mental and behavioral health, and extended care and rehabilitative care to over 80,000 veteran patients in 2005; and,

WHEREAS, an MIA-POW flag honoring those who were prisoners of war or who are still missing in action has been donated to the City Council in honor of this special occasion; and,

WHEREAS, people throughout our City will be holding special events and activities to honor Armistice Day and our Veterans, including the first annual Partners in Peace Armistice Day dinner being held at Brit’s Pub…


NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Minneapolis City Council that the City of Minneapolis expresses its gratitude, appreciation, and respect for the service of veterans and members of the United States and allied Armed Forces.

Be it further resolved that the City of Minneapolis especially honors and thanks all City employees who have served in the United States and allied Armed Forces.

Be it further resolved that the City Clerks Office is directed to develop a Flag Policy to guide when and where the MIA-POW flag will be displayed in the Council Chambers.