Armistice Day 1918 by Vera Richards

GRANITE FALLS, NC (November 11, 2017)…We are very blessed and honored to have the opportunity to share this wonderful story with you that was written by Vera Richards.  Vera passed away on November 2, 2015.  Vera was a beautiful lady that was loved by many and she was a fantastic story teller as you will see when you read her story below…

November 11, 2013 by Vera Richards…I would like to journey back in time and share with you a story I wrote honoring the veterans of all the wars and in memory of those who lost their lives.  I also wrote this in remembrance of my mother who so very lovingly told me the story many years ago.  It is a true and uplifting story of hope about the first Veteran’s, or Armistice Day, as it was known way back then.

When the order was given to cease firing at 11 o’clock on the morning of November 11, 1918, it wasn’t long until the people of Granite Falls and, in fact, the entire world were rejoicing that the Great War had finally come to an end.  The church bells rang out loud and clear.  There were loud popping noises and horns that blew excessively.  The hollering of people echoed around the small mill village where my parents lived.

My mothers’ dear friend, Smithie Moore, who lived next door, came running down her kitchen steps waving her arms frantically in the air and shouting that the war was over.  She had indeed something wonderful to shout about.  Three of her sons were in the Armed Services and scattered around the world.  My mother heard her shouting and started toward her, but Smithie continued running and jumping up and down excitedly.  She took one big leap in the air and jumped over a large woodpile in my parents’ yard.  Much to my mother’s surprise, Smithie cleared the woodpile easily and incredibly landed on her feet unharmed.

They wound their arms tightly around each other.  Their tears mingled together and fell unheeded down their cheeks.  They were caught up in the excitement and joy bubbled forth exuberantly and lifted their spirits in prayer and praise unto the Lord.  “Thank you, Jesus”, Smithie said, “for taking such good care of my sons, and I just want to praise your name that this terrible war has ended.”  Meanwhile, my mother was smiling through her tears.  She, too, was thanking the Lord.  You see, my mother knew that Dad’s name was at the top of the list of men from Caldwell County who were to be called the very next week to go into the Army.  With Thanksgiving in her heart, she was grateful, too, that her small son was not old enough to realize how close his dad had come to war.

Every Veteran’s Day, I go back through the years and remember the indescribable joy and happiness my mother and her friend shared together on that unforgettable Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.  Those endearing moments of yesteryear will live forever in my heart.