In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween 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.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)
Msgt. Coy A. Huskey
U.S. Army, Signal Corps
(1921-2000)
To all who have served, who serve today, who have given the ultimate in the act of service to this country; to my father who served proudly in World War 2 and brought the unmistakable impressions of it's physical and mental wounds home with him, and to all others who valiantly face daily what we--the civilian public, cannot imagine--you are honored.
May the time come soon when, through our better angels, we can put behind us the grievances that breed war and celebrate strictly honored memories upon Memorial Day.
May we find and keep the peace these men and women so valiantly fought and died for, and continue to do so even now.
7 comments:
Your dad was a handsome devil!
McRae's poem is so beautiful - I remember the first time I read it (in CLASS in high school, no less) I got tears in my eye.
It's amazing I ever got a date.
Lovely post today!
Baautiful....This poem has been one of my favorites...I think I'll write about World Peace Day on my blog today...and find a pic of my dad from WW2. Thanks.
I love the poem too...it has always haunted me, I can never remember all of it (I think it is a subliminal block) and it is probably the most elegant of work written about war and death.
I was surprised when I posted this pic of my Dad and then looked at my photo on here....I knew we looked a lot alike, but geez. This fruit didn't fall far from the tree.
As an aside; when Gary has done Memorial day and Veterans Day speeches, do you have any idea how few people know why there is a poppy associated with vets???
Wonderful post.
Thanks Vicki! Loved your photo for your dad.
The poppy represents the blood of the soldiers spilled on the battlefiels. Right?
I think so Vicki. I did some research on this, but since the weekend is gone, my brain went with it.
The Rhodes Poppy that is commonly called a Corn Poppy grows in profusion in Europe all along the roadsides and in fiends. I remember them from Italy---they were everywhere, as they were in France.
The bloodshed in Flanders in WW 1 was particularly horrible, and the red of the poppies in the fields was a reminder of the blood spilled and lived lost there.
Thus, the Rhodes Poppy became associated with fallen soldiers, and veterans in general.
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