Remembering the Christmas Truce
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We follow the example set by the Christmas Truce soldiers who rejected militarism and the glorification of war. We call on the nation to honor veterans and all those who have died in war by working for peace and the prevention of war. As Veterans For Peace, we know that peace is possible.
During the Christmas of 1914, soldiers on multiple fronts of the First World War put their weapons down and made an unofficial and illegal truce. When the celebrations ended, many would not go back to war with each other. The popular story has been re-told many times as a Christmas miracle. It serves as heartening proof that beneath the brutal clash of weapons, the soldiers' essential humanity endured. A few days ago, we sent out an action alert for veteran members to send a letter to President Obama before his visit to Pearl Harbor, urging him to officially apologize for the nuclear attacks on Japanese civilians in WWII.
In the spirit of the Christmas Truce and the day when ordinary soldiers from opposing armies laid down their weapons and stopped fighting, we are calling on all veteran members to pressure President Obama to continue taking steps towards diplomacy. As military veterans who have come to see the tragic futility of war, we know that the path to peace begins with accountability and reconciliation.
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