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Show 'fv'BATTLE Creek Tomorrow is a national holiday. Formerly designated by action of Congress as Armistice Day, Nov. 11 has for the past three years been more appropriately called "Veterans Day." So far as official recognition in Utah is concerned, public offices, banks and a few business houses will close, and some of the schools will sponsor patriotic programs. That's about all. Statewide however, the bombardments bom-bardments which attended World War I and the two armed conflicts which followed, will be simulated, to a degree at least, by the booming boom-ing scattei--gnns of the pheasant hunters. This writer has been appi-oach-ed recently by numerous patriotic citizens with the same question: Why did the State Fish and Game Commission open the pheasant hunting season on Veterans Day? There seems to be no reasonable enswer, except that the politicians and employees in the State Capitol Cap-itol have the day off anyway; so why not get the jump on the other hunters in the state and go after the toothsome fowl? Pheasant hunting is after all an opening day .affair; and the "Johnny come lately's" had just about shoulder their guns and go home. Be that as it may, in the opinion of this column, there are better ways to observe Veterans Day. Not that we have anything against pheasant hunting it's an exhil-erating exhil-erating sport for those who like it; but the opening colild better have been set for Saturday, Nov. 12. Such an arrangement would have allowed more of the hunters an equal chance; and made possible pos-sible a more fitting observance of the national holiday. Those who originally designated November 11 as Armistice Day had in mind one principal idea the debt we all owe to those who have fought and died , to keep America free. The prosper .ty we enjoy today, to-day, and our wonderful heritage of fr.ee speech, a free press, of freedom of religious belief, are all the direct result of the unselfish sacrifice of America's fighting men. If anyone has doubts as to this being the most blessed place on earth in which to live, let him talk to any of our numerous recent world travelers. One of these recently re-cently remarked that the life of the common folk in Europe is at least 50 years behind American standards. Life in Asia could well be estimated at several hundred years behind what we all accept as commonplace.,. And so tomorrow, if we can spare a little time from the frenzy of the pheasant chase or our fervid fer-vid pursuit of the inflated dollar, we might pause for a moment or two and thank God that we are Americans. All that we have and all that wo are, is the result of the personal contributions of the valiant men who put patriotism and duty above all other considerations. consider-ations. The callous disrespect of our state officials need not bother us too much if within our own hearts we still have a sense of loyalty to the cause of democracy; and a feeling of sincere appi eciatiuu to those to whom we owe so much. As Phillip Nolan said in the book "The Man Without a Country," "No matter what happens to you, never let a night pass but that you pray God to bless our flag." j So long 'til Thursday. |