In Flanders Fields

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Since its Remembrance Day in Canada and the Commonwealth, I would like to posts this poem In Flanders Fields, its sad that
most people use this day not for remembering those who have died in past and current wars, but use it as a shopping day.


In Flanders fields the poppies grow
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.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
3 May 1915

In the UK Remembrance Day is on Sunday. I always went to our local remembrance service, being in the scouts, and have noticed over the last few years that more and more people are now attending. I think it's a reaction to the soldiers being killed in Afghanistan. The images from Wootton Bassett are deeply moving. The fact that an entire town voluntarily comes to a complete standstill every time there is a repatriation creates a ripple through the entire country. This is what I mean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt5kjddDhBE

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Mary Elizabeth Frye
1932

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest we forget

I would also like to post something for Remembrance Day

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKnCJQvpvu8[/youtube]

I have often wondered how Rememberance day can be of significance for the younger generations (like myself) that have not had particularly significant wars to fight over...

Sure, i can feel the loss of every soldier we are currently losing, but even with my knowledge of the 20th century and before, it doesn't (rationnally) strikes me as something i should concern myself about. >< I don't know if i'm explaining myself properly... It's hard for me to feel anything for people whom i've never known, seen or heard about... What we have left of them are only plaques, photos... And (war) stories... Those seem to be the only things i can relate to. But otherwise, i see very little purpose to Rememberance Day. ._.

And i'm sorry if my comments have hurt anyone's feelings =(

Woah. We have nothing like this.. may have something to do with the last war being almost two full centuries ago.

We call it "Veterans Day" in the USA. The same day on the calender. It also came out of World War One. In 1918 we already had "Memorial Day", a legacy of the Civil War. Oddly enough Memorial day functions more like the British Empire's "Rememberence Day". We have one of each: a day for the fallen, and we have a day for the living veterans.

I took a course called the Landmark Forum- an intensive four day self help seminar with some one hundred others people of everybackground.

A scary but exhilarating experience thats hard to explain if you havent done it.

Anyway- the course happened to fall on veterens day so it was suggested that we do a veterens day thing.

The instructor agreed "but instead of doing some patriotic flag waving thing well do this simple excercise."

He started by asking all active military personel to stand up (this was at the height of Iraq) . A small handfull of the 100 plus stood up.

Then "all veterens" stand up- a few more- young and old- men and women- stood up.

Then those with spouse/immediate family serving- then anyone immediate family who were veterens, and so on..

Each step- more and more people stood up.

Then he said "anyone with non-living family as veterens stand up."

That was when i stood up- most people were standing at that point- I thought about dad who was in the navy in the korean war, and especially about my grandfather who fought in the trenches in the first world war- survived- lived as a farmer and minister in Kansas for a half a centurey- but died in the mid sixties of lung cancer (thouhg he never smoked- the family speculation was that it was a delayed effect of his being gassed in the war).

At the end of the excerise ninety percent of the people were standing- you sensed that they all were thinking similiar thoughts. It showed how war and military service impacts not only the individual but has effects that spread out like ripples on a pond to encompass all of society, and how you and your own family are enmeshed in the larger drama of the nation's and world's history.

Maybe you had to be there, but It was a simple, quiet, but incredibly moving excercise.