Ringing bells of freedom

A very special Veterans Day is fast approaching. After four years of fighting, in 1918 an armistice was agreed on and World War I ended at 11 a.m. The Treaty of Versailles was not signed until 1919, so President Woodrow Wilson set aside Nov. 11, 1919, as Armistice Day, later to be renamed Veterans Day by President Dwight Eisenhower. Veterans Day is the day we celebrate, thank and pay tribute to all veterans. Whether they serve in wartime or during peace, our veterans put their lives on the line and dedicate their careers to protecting the freedoms that we enjoy in the United States.

The Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Association Veterans Committee, Southeast Hospice and the Missouri Veterans Home are asking churches, schools and businesses to help us ring the bells of freedom for two minutes at 11 a.m. Nov. 11. Southeast Hospice and the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau will be celebrating our veterans with a 10:30 a.m. program at the Veterans Home. This program is open to the public.

Help us celebrate our veterans and their selfless contributions. Join us as we let freedom ring: 11-11-11-11.

PEARLA SMITH,

Hospice volunteer coordinator, Southeast Hospice