Clare Kemp
The Signal Staff
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was signed and peace was declared that would end World War I.
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared that Nov. 11 be proclaimed Armistice Day. This day was legally declared a holiday, a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to those who served in WWI.
In 1953 Al King, the owner of a small-town shoe store in Kansas, campaigned to change Armistice Day to “All” Veterans Day. With the help of then U.S. Representative Ed Rees, a bill for this holiday was pushed through Congress and signed by President Dwight Eisenhower May 26, 1954. On Nov. 8, 1954, the act was amended and the name was officially changed to Veterans Day.
Prior to this historical milestone, in 1951 a young man fresh out of high school by the name of Walter Cunningham enlisted into the Navy and within 18 months was accepted for pilot training. After two years, he took his wings and became a United States Marine Corps fighter pilot until August 1956. He then joined the reserve program until 1975. Cunningham became a man of many trades. He is best known today as America’s second civilian astronaut after spending eight years with NASA.
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NASA Astronaut Walter Cunningham during his flight with the Apollo 7 crew. Photo courtesy of NASA.
NASA Astronaut Walter Cunningham during his flight with the Apollo 7 crew. Photo courtesy of NASA.
“I can in all honesty tell you that I never thought of any of it as hard work,” Cunningham said. “Same way when I was an astronaut. We loved what were doing. We were busy 18 hours a day and sometimes I worked 24 hours a day when we were testing the spacecraft. I never remember having any resentment over having to do it. It was just like ah, am I not lucky to be able to do this.”
In between his years of service, he spent eight years as a full-time college student.
“My first couple of years at NASA were heavily education oriented with things that I did not know before,” Cunningham said. “I felt fortunate that I had an opportunity to learn these things. Unless Americans in school are taught about the history and the sacrifices that we have made, and particularly what our uniformed service members have made, I don’t understand how they can have the pride in Nov. 11 that they should. Americans are fortunate. Our country was founded on a set of principles that no other country in history has.”
Cunningham served in the USMC active and reserve from 1951 to 1976 and retired with the rank of Colonel. He accumulated 4,500 hours of space and pilot time, and exemplifies the effort of being a veteran.
University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Office of Alumni and Community Relations will be sponsoring the university’s seventh annual Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with Cunningham as the keynote speaker. The event will be held on campus in Liberty Park and in the Student Services and Classroom Building.
A few portions of this year’s celebration will include: a flyby of two Army Apache attack helicopters, Bluebonnet Military Motor Pool display of vintage military vehicles and equipment. Stories of veterans and their families will be on display in Atrium I of the university’s Bayou Building throughout November.
“Veterans Day for me is a day to remember those who lost their lives in both recent and historic conflicts,” said Christopher Curry, a Navy veteran and undergraduate communication major. “I worked with several who did not make it home to enjoy the benefits of being veterans.”
Curry, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was stationed in Sasebo, Japan, for two years, plans to attend this year’s celebration.
Students, faculty, staff and the community are all encouraged to attend this year’s celebration. Parking and admission are free.
For more information, contact the UHCL Office of Alumni and Communication Relations at 281-283-2024.
To read a memoir of a U.S. veteran, click here.
