Owner Comments:
Note: This description only refers to the Disabled Veterans Commemorative Dollar portion of my tribute. The other parts of my full tribute are attached to their appropriate coins in my modern commemorative registry set.
A Four-Coin Tribute to our Veterans
For Novembers Coin of the Month column, I am using four coins to illustrate my heartfelt thanks to all the veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
Those coins, all certified by NGC, are a 2005-P MS-70 United States Marine Corps silver dollar, a 2010-W PFUC-69 Disabled Veterans silver dollar, a 2011-P PFUC-69 Medal of Honor silver dollar, and a 2011-W PFUC-69 Medal of Honor five-dollar gold piece. Each of the dollar coins conforms to the dimensions, weight, and composition of a standard US silver dollar, and likewise, the five-dollar coin matches that of a standard US half-eagle.
Initially called Armistice Day, Veterans Day coincides with the end of hostilities in World War I on November 11, 1918. By Presidential Proclamation, the first observance of Armistice Day occurred on November 11, 1919. Subsequently, in 1938 by an act of Congress, Armistice Day became an annual observance celebrated on November 11. Later through the efforts of World War II veteran Raymond Weeks, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Henceforth, since Armistice Day was originally intended to honor those who died on the battlefield in World War I, Veterans Day today celebrates the service of all veterans.
My next tribute coin is the 2010 Disabled Veterans commemorative dollar. On the obverse of this coin are the legs and boots of three veterans, one of whom has an amputated leg. Around the upper rim of the coin is a banner with the inscription, They Stood Up For Us. The reverse features an oak wreath wrapped by a ribbon with a forget-me-not flower at the base of the wreath. The oak wreath is a symbol of strength, and the forget-me-not, which dates back to World War I, represents those who were disabled during combat. Currently, 1.6 million service men and women have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars at some point. Of those, 45% have applied for disability benefits. This represents a significant number of men and women who are bearing the physical and/or psychological scars of war. The phrase in the middle of the wreath on this coins reverse asks us to honor the disabled defenders of freedom. Accordingly, let us honor those who have stood in the gap for us on the battlefield by standing in the gap for them at home, and giving them the love and support they both need and deserve. May they never be forced to carry the physical scars and psychological burdens of war alone.
As a veteran of the United States Navy during the cold war, I had often thought about how I would react if the call came to go to war. On my ship we spent countless hours training and preparing for such an event. Thankfully, for me, that call never came. However, today, scores of men and women are answering the call to arms, and many will pay the ultimate price on our behalf. Our veterans have given so much; let us not fail to show them the proper gratitude they deserve.
Happy Veterans Day, November 11, 2012.
Gary