Dear friends,
The 20th century saw a marked shift in how we discuss war—the heroics of antiquity and the romantics of the Victorian era fell away to be replaced by the harshness of reality in the face of industrialized warfare.
Each major war in the last century has been accompanied by powerful poetry, literature, and in-depth historical analysis. Wilfred Owens, John McCrae, and Ernest Hemingway in the First World War; Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller and countless historians out of the Second World War; T.R. Fehrenbach’s study of the Korean War; Tim O’Brien’s reflections on Vietnam; and Anthony Cordesman on the Gulf War, just to name a few.
Despite the increased dangers of conflict, captured in the written word and reverberating throughout society, countless men and women have stood up, stepped forward, and swore an oath to defend our nation. Regardless of rank or station, they offered themselves to ensure the principles and laws of our Republic remain those of a free and democratic people.
Libraries, in particular, are unique manifestations of these principles—an institution through which we can express ourselves, grow, explore freely, and to be engaged members of civic society. Julia Ideson, the first librarian of the Houston Public Library, has a unique link to Veteran’s Day as she provided library services to the U.S. Army at Camp Logan (now Memorial Park) and went over to France with the American Library Association to provide library services to men on the Western Front.
Today, on Veteran’s Day, we recognize, remember, and thank those who took that stand and offered themselves in defense of our beliefs and for a chance at peace. To our veterans, we thank you.