Cotton resolution marks armistice

WASHINGTON — As a member of the Old Guard, the U.S. Army’s official ceremonial unit, soldier Tom Cotton stood watch in Arlington National Cemetery beside the resting place of a World War I casualty.

As a lawmaker, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton introduced a resolution marking the 100th anniversary of the armistice that brought the bloody conflict to a halt.

A similar resolution has been introduced in the House.

The so-called Great War, which shattered Europe, ended on Nov. 11, 1918. Millions were killed, including 116,516 Americans.

In 1921, the remains of an unidentified American soldier were disinterred from a French cemetery and shipped to the cemetery in Arlington, Va., where they were placed in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the armistice’s third anniversary.

Ninety-seven years later, that anonymous warrior still “rests in honored glory,” his name still “known but to God.”

“Ever since the end of World War I, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has venerated those service members who anonymously sacrificed themselves for the freedom of other Americans,” Cotton said in a written statement. “To commemorate such an important part of our history, I encourage both chambers to quickly pass this resolution.”

Earlier this year, the Republican from Dardanelle also introduced legislation called the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemorative Coin Act.” It calls for the U.S. Mint to strike a silver $1 coin marking the occasion. A $10-per-coin surcharge would be forwarded to the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Mo.