Frazz by Jef Mallett for November 11, 2024

Memorial day is for remembering and honoring all those that died while in service. Veteran’s day is for honoring all of those that served.

Because then we’d spend as much time thinking about them as we do thinking about the sun coming up.

Nice safe, Caulfield?

I love chocolate cream pie. LOVE it. Every time I eat it, I get shivers of delight. But. If I were to eat it every day, day after day after day… eventually I’d become blasé about it… and perhaps even grow to wish I had something else.

Days of remembrance are like that.

Well, one could work for the VA

Or a veteran’s home (such as the one my brother spent his last days at — necessary as he had Lewy Body dementia and home care was not an option),

Or work for the National Cemeteries. My brother and father are in Arlington.

Amen, Frazz.

Technically, there are three holidays per year: Memorial Day recognizes those who died in the line of duty. Veterans Day recognizes those who’ve served in the past. Armed Forces Day recognizes those who are currently serving. We can never repay the debt we owe them all.

Memorial Day is to honor dead soldiers.

Veterans’ Day is to honor living veterans.

Armed Forces Day is to honor those currently serving.

These get confused frequently.

Veteran’s Day is for the living, Memorial Day honors the fallen

Three days, actually.

Armed Forces Day got those currently serving.Veterans Day for those who have already served.Memorial Day for those who served and never made it home.

As for every day recognition…I don’t need it, as i served in peacetime and , tbh, it feels little creepy and fetishtic.

Maybe if we celebrated our troops as much as we celebrate war, we wouldn’t have so many veterans on the streets or in desperate need of psychological assistance.

All those who lived to tell about it.

I’d like to know why blacks get TWO federal holidays (MLK and Juneteenth), while Hispanics and Asians get none.

This is a good opportunity to talk about lots of other people who also serve (or served) their country.

We’ve just seen something that’s only happened once before in American history. Grover Cleveland won the presidency in 1884, lost it in 1888, and won it back again in 1892, becoming President #22 and 24. Donald Trump won in 2016, lost in 2020, and won again in 2024, becoming President #45 and 47. (Cleveland won the popular vote all 3 times, tho; Trump, only the last time.)

Besides that similarity, they share a mutual interest in the federal civil-service system. Thruout most of the 19th Century, every time the White House changed occupants, there was massive turnover in federal offices, as jobs were awarded to members of the incoming president’s party. It didn’t much matter whether the new office-holders had much experience in those jobs, or even basic competence; those weren’t the primary criteria. Party loyalty was all that mattered. This was most noticeable in the favorite political plums of all: postmasterships in every city, village, town, and hamlet in the country, where party activists could be rewarded with a spot on the federal payroll without having to leave home. Of course, it meant the mail was screwed up everywhere for a couple of months thereafter, but hey, to the victor belong the spoils, right? That’s why this approach was called the “spoils system”.

Cleveland didn’t like it. He wanted the public to be served by people who actually knew what they were doing and were good at it, so his administration created job requirements, recruited people who met them, encouraged them to develop detailed expertise, and rewarded good performance and longevity, so it was possible to make a career out of government work and actually establish institutional memory within the various departments and bureaus.

But, as I said, he and Trump share a mutual interest in the civil service. Cleveland created it; Trump wants to destroy it.

Either way, I’m glad most of them get to stay home today. (Made my drive to work super easy!)

For everyone commenting about the differences between Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Armed Forces Day, you’ve completely missed the point. Which in a way is the point – that our veterans and those made the ultimate sacrifice are thought about only once or twice a year. If our country, and the president elect actually gave a crap about veterans and surviving families, there wouldn’t be homeless vets, the numerous foundations comprised of vets, family members, retirees, and prior service raising funds for things like service dogs, housing, etc. We wouldn’t have to have service members getting SNAP benefits to feed their kid. Our veterans and retirees that qualify for healthcare wouldn’t constantly see their co-pays going up EVERY year – during Trumps last time in office the co-pays doubled in one year.

As a vet and the spouse of an Army retiree, I’m sick of the lip service. Please don’t thank us for our service, we willingly signed up. Do something meaningful, get involved, donate to a charity that is actually helping veterans and their families, write letters to congress – especially those who are on the Armed Forces committee. And don’t forget the families, I spent 12 years as an Army spouse after I left active duty and the families sacrifice more than most will ever understand.

Someone once said: People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. Thank God for each of those who do.

Prayers for the fallen, the wounded, and their families.

We need to go back to calling it Armistice Day, celebrating the end of a war & the hope we can end all war.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Frazz look so surprised as he is in the second panel today.

What I would like to see in church on Memorial Day is the pastor identify gold star families and then veterans present step up and salute them. Those families sacrificed as much as the service personnel that died defending the Constitution.

God Bless Our Veterans and Military. You have and do sacrifice so much for us. We owe you a debt that we can never repay.

For us, Remembrance Day is just that; remember those who signed the contract to defend Canada and payed the ultimate sacrifice. We also remember those who were broken both physically and mentally, for they paid a terrible price. Lest we forget. Signed , an old soldier

I truly believe the US should reactivate the draft. Every American should have to put in two years of service to the country, whether in the military or some social program. I served 6 years in the Navy and it really made me grow up. The younger generations definitely could use this type of lesson.

I second that emotion. A very good one, Mallett.

Veterans should Honor and remembered for a month, and they should get better medical

I want all you veterans who voted for t**** to remember the KIA losers and fellow suckers who served with you every time you see the fascist commander in chief you elected. You are a disgrace to their service!

I’m happy to honor both every day!

To all the Veterans here, thank you for your service.

I can’t speak for all of us, but I would be thrilled if the rest of the country would read the Constitution and follow it. Don’t vote for politicians who avoided the opportunity to serve their country when they were younger and who have very little idea what the Constitution says.

In the US:

Armed Forces Day = Third Saturday in May.

Armed Forces Week = Second Saturday in May till Third Sunday in May.

Memorial Day = Last Monday in May

Veterans Day (formerly Armistice Day) = November 11

National Veterans and Military Families Month = Entire Month of November

♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♫♫♪♫♫

♪♫ Ah young Willie McBride, I can’t help wonder why

Do those that lie here know why did they die?

And did they believe when they told you the cause

Did they really believe that this war would end wars?

Well the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the shame

The killing and dying, were all done in vain

For young Willie McBride, it all happened again

And again, and again, and again, and again! ♪♫

Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly?

Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?

Did the band play The Last Post in chorus?

Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest? ♪♫♫

— Green Fields of France – Eric Bogle (But Dropkick Murphys cover is the best!)

The real reason we have Veterans Day and Memorial Day? So the government employees can get two more days off.

At least it’s better today compared to the way we were treated in the 70s & 80s

Veterans Day should be merged with Election Day, putting voting on a holiday so that more people can participate without taking a financial hit for it. Defending democracy together.

Of the batch of comics that I personally keep up with on this site, only “Frazz” and “The Wizard of Id” acknowledged that this is Veteran’s Day.

Thank you for your service, whomever and wherever you be.

One is for the living, one is for the dead.

There is a wonderful phrase I hope to not mess up too badly…“Armed Forces Day is to honor those that wear the uniform,Veterans’ Day is to honor those who wore the uniform,and Memorial Day, is to honor, and remember those who never got to take the uniform off.”To each, and every member of any of those groups, thank you, and I salute you.

First, only one. The one in May is for the real heroes. And seriously, I could do without the one today, too. If I could somehow get people to stop thanking me for my service—a social more that developed after a decidedly non-military catastrophe (9/11)—that would be great, too.

Why? I spent a career in the military, going from an enlisted teenager to a retired officer. But today’s society is so separated from military service, people don’t really know or understand what it is. It’s not their fault and they certainly mean well, but service is about giving, not getting. It’s why I display nothing—I own nothing—that evokes my military status. I don’t even ask for military discounts—even when they’re offered.

On a personal and professional level, I’ve accomplished so much more in my life; I don’t want to be known as the old military guy who doesn’t let go of the past. If you thank me for my service, I’ll smile, say thanks, and let it go. If you ask more, I’ll tell you. (But it’s almost always how I met my wife, who was a military nurse. It’s the best story I have.)

I have an amazing life, and I don’t need the help, but anything we can do for veterans who have little—or nothing—would be wonderful. Let’s show our thanks to them with action and funding. They could use it.

We have a military appreciation month. Funny how nobody every brings THAT up, though…

You left out Fourth of July.

I would get so tired of this. To this day I can’t stand hearing the words “Thank you for your service.” Look, bud, I joined because of Reagan’s crappy economy, not out of any love for your freedoms — especially when most of the people saying it consistently vote to take those freedoms away.