In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
***

Today is Remembrance Day, at least in Canada it's Remembrance Day. Other countries have different names, and some celebrate similar days on different days. But for me, no matter where I am the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, is Remembrance Day.
I never did anything very special on Remembrance Day. I tried to go to the ceremonies, but since it's not an official holiday I couldn't always make the ceremony. Too often the company or school didn't consider it very important, and wouldn't let us go to the ceremony even at 11 o'clock. Or kept the ceremony so short if you were 2 minutes late you didn't get to participate.
So I kept it to myself. I'd buy the poppies from the veterans. Or as the years progressed and fewer veterans survived, from the cardboard boxes they left out. Sometimes during university this was difficult even though they only asked for pennies. I insisted on giving as much as I could spare.
On Remembrance Day, even if I was in class or at work, I tried to keep at least a minute of silence as soon as the clock hit 11. I'd still be listening, or working, but I wouldn't say a word. Its my own small way of honouring the people who fought and died for Canada.
Remembrance Day isn't about honouring war. War is Hell. Some wars have been just. Some, too many, are not.
Remembrance Day is about honouring the men, and now women, who have freely decided to show their support for their country by giving everything they had trying to protect their country, and their people. Many of them did not want to go to war. Many did not know what they were entering when they answered the call. But they went, and once they discovered what was happening, they stayed, and they fought, and too many died.
They fought for their buddies. They fought to stay alive. They fought to keep their country free. They fought to free people who could not free themselves. In the last fifty years, many have fought, and died simply trying to keep people in different countries, around the world, and far from home, alive for one more day.
It is for them that we honour the soldiers on Remembrance Day.
They are not the politicians who spend every waking hour shouting about victory or defeat. They are not the murderers who purposefully kill civilians because they are too weak or cowardly to attack other soldiers. They are not people who spend more time looting and robbing people they are meant to protect, than actually protecting them.
We honour the soldiers who fight for freedom, who try to keep the innocent alive, who fight against those that would kill everyone who does not agree with them.
It is for them that we hold Remembrance Day. It is for them that we keep a moment of silence once a year. It is for them that we agree to stand on guard, protecting what they died for.

May we never forget.

The poem In Flanders Field, and responses to it.
http://www.nbc-links.com/miscellaneous/FlandersField.html

In Flanders Field as a song
YouTube - In Flanders Fields (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjMzySWBxXg)


If you wish to respond please keep it respectful. If you wish to make this political take it elsewhere.

Military Poems, Military Poetry. Famous Military Related Poems (http://www.military-quotes.com/military-poems.htm)

A Tribute To Veterans
Jerry Calow

In Vietnam, Korea and World Wars Past
Our Men Fought Bravely so Freedom Would Last
Conditions Where Not Always Best They Could Be
Fighting a Foe You Could Not Always See:

From Mountain Highs to Valley Lows
From Jungle Drops to Desert Patrols

Our Sinewy Sons Were Sent Over Seas
Far From Their Families And Far From Their Dreams
They Never Wrote Letters Of Hardships Despair
Only Of Love, Yearning That One Day Soon:

They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On With The Rest of Their Lives

The P.O.W.¹S Stood Steadfast
Against the Indignities And Cruelties Of War
They Could Not Have Lasted as Long as They Did
If They Had Relinquished Their Hope That Some Day:

They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On the Rest Of Their Lives

Medics, Nurses, and Chaplains Alike
Did What They Needed To Bring Back Life
They Served Our Forces From Day Into Night
Not Questioning If They Would Survive:

They Mended Bones And Bodies Too,
They Soothed the Spirits of Dying Souls

And for Those M.I.A¹S, Who Were Left Behind
We Echo This Message Across the Seas
We Will search For as Long As It Takes
You¹re Not Forgotten And Will Always Be:

In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers,
In Our Minds For All Time

A Moment of Silence, a Moment of Summons
Is Their Deliverance of Body And Soul
To a Sacred Place That We All Know
Deep In the Shrines of Our Soul:

In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers
In Our Minds For All Time

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. - John Stewart Mill

Another video of Flanders Field being read with some WW1 video. YouTube - Flanders Field (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEnG8pIzvg8)

It's sad when you realize at least a quarter of the war graves they have throughout Europe are marked with one of two sayings, "Known by God", "A Soldier of the Great War".
Many soldiers were killed in ways that no one could possibly identify the body. So they were buried as honourably as possible, but their names will only be remembered as Missing In Action.

Good call Dom, I was going to make the same thread.

In loving memory of those who fell defending our freedoms, in the Great War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945), and in all other conflicts.

If it wasn't for them, this world that we live in and take for granted would be a very different place. May God cherish their souls.

Another good video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlYynHmE8b0. It is a power point presentation with the song "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." It is very focus around Australia’s involvement in Gallipoli, but I think all will find it quite appropriate. I certainly found this touching.

A moment of Silence and Respect.

Those that fell lived in harsh conditions in muddy trenches under rain fall under brutal illness watching friends die and eventually have to battle their inner daemons on the call to go over.

For courage above all else for duty for honour for the flag.
I give my silence to those brave men.



Lest We Forget

Today is a day to set aside the squabbles over just or unjust wars, and instead focus on the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Let us all remember with honor the dedicated soldiers who have given their lives so that others might breathe freedom; men and women who, eyes open, did what they were called upon to do despite the cost.

I share my views with all of you. It is true, these men and women hold quite a courage and high moral character to put aside their lives for the state. We celebrate Defence Day on 6th September, in the same spirit as Remembrance Day. However, schools and offices are off and we have quite a chance to show respect and honor to our saviors. Really, such patriotic people are saviors of our culture and heritage and most importantly our security.

No words can explain the gratitude that the rest of humanity has for these brave and noble heroes.

May their souls forever lay in peace and the memory of their bravery forever live within us all.

Lest we forget.

A very delayed post as I didn't have long at all on the internet yesterday, but nevertheless I too honour those that have sacrificed their lives so that we may continue to live our own in freedom.

I was quite annoyed yesterday at work because the manager held our briefing and talked the whole way through the minute's silence, despite the fact that he'd been made aware of our wishes to have a minute's silence. We had one nonetheless, against the manager's wishes but his ignorance was shameful.

Was it ignorance or was he openly expressing his contempt? If, as you say, he was reminded beforehand, I would have to suspect the latter.

People like that really should be shown a history book, and a world news paper. They have no idea how lucky they are.

Sorry to say this Dom but it wouldn't make any difference to them.
They are the ones who watch the protests against war and watch the war stories and say
"doesn't concern me, not in my country"
But they will be the ones who scream at the gov. if it ever does come to their country and they see it first hand. Or if someone they love takes up the torch. they would either play the always knew he had it in him to do this. OR stupid fool he didn't have to go why would he leave his job and family to go fight someone else's war.

Was it ignorance or was he openly expressing his contempt? If, as you say, he was reminded beforehand, I would have to suspect the latter.

Nah, it wasn't ignorance. I can't think of the right word but that's what we'd say around here, even though it's not the correct meaning of the word.

He knew he was doing it.

The sad truth is the trouble with many people they really don't understand the concept of war or what its aftermath brings and that lack of thought clouds their thoughts for those that have fallen in the name of freedom.

Unless you've seen it with your own eyes you will never understand the true meaning of Rememberance day. And in truth nor would you want to.

And because of the brave men and women who selflessly give their lives miles from home, we don't have to.

I have to say poetry about the glories of war, and the glorious sacrifice that people make don't sit easy with me.

Mental Cases

Who are these? Why sit they here in twilight?
Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows,
Drooping tongues from jaws that slob their relish,
Baring teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked?
Stroke on stroke of pain,-but what slow panic,
Gouged these chasms round their fretted sockets?
Ever from their hair and through their hands' palms
Misery swelters. Surely we have perished
Sleeping, and walk hell; but who these hellish?

-These are men whose minds the Dead have ravished.
Memory fingers in their hair of murders,
Multitudinous murders they once witnessed.
Wading sloughs of flesh these helpless wander,
Treading blood from lungs that had loved laughter.
Always they must see these things and hear them,
Batter of guns and shatter of flying muscles,
Carnage incomparable, and human squander
Rucked too thick for these men's extrication.

Therefore still their eyeballs shrink tormented
Back into their brains, because on their sense
Sunlight seems a blood-smear; night comes blood-black;
Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.
-Thus their heads wear this hilarious, hideous,
Awful falseness of set-smiling corpses.
-Thus their hands are plucking at each other;
Picking at the rope-knouts of their scourging;
Snatching after us who smote them, brother,
Pawing us who dealt them war and madness.

Sorry to say this Dom but it wouldn't make any difference to them.
They are the ones who watch the protests against war and watch the war stories and say
"doesn't concern me, not in my country"
But they will be the ones who scream at the gov. if it ever does come to their country and they see it first hand. Or if someone they love takes up the torch. they would either play the always knew he had it in him to do this. OR stupid fool he didn't have to go why would he leave his job and family to go fight someone else's war.

Well thats why you have a really thick history book. It makes step two really easy and effective.
Step two. Beat them over the head with said history book and once you have beaten them senseless, fill the void in their head with news stories from around the world.
It is very effective.

Edit: Princess, that is a good and interesting poem. Thanks for posting it.

A beautiful thread Dom.
It really puts all lifes "drama, and hardships" we have, in perspective.
A touching reminder.
Thank-you for putting your time and energy to help everyone become more aware.