In 1918, the guns fell quiet on the western front of the Great War.
8,500,000 men and women in uniform died.
60,000 Canadians. 60,000 Ozies. 700,000 UKers. 1,400,000 Frenchmen. 2 million Germans. Half-a-million Italians. 1.5 mllion Austrians. 100,000 Americans. 2 million Russians. 80,000 Bulgarians. 30,000 Belgians. 300,000 Romanians. 400,000 Turks. 50,000 Serbians. 40,000 British Africans. 25,000 British Indians.
And roughly as many civilians as men and women under arms.
Never again. The War to End All Wars.
Quote:
PLEASE WEAR A POPPY
"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.
A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned in on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"
The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.
"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.
"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.
"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.
"Till at last, at last, the war was won-
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"
A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!
And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!
by Don Crawford
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The Second World War. 55,000,00 or more million men and woman died.
10 million Russians, 3.5 million Germans, 2 million Chinese, 1.5 million Japanese, 400,000 Americans, 300,000 Romanians, 300,000 Yugoslavians, 280,000 UK, 230,000 Italians, 210,000 Frenchmen, 140,000 Hungarians, 125,000 Polishmen, 40,000 Canadians, 40,000 Fins, 10,000 Kiwis, 10,000 Spaniards, 10,000 Bulgarians, 10,000 Belgians, 30,000 Ozzies, 20,000 Albanians, 27,000 Phillipinos, 40,000 Greeks, 25,000 Indians men and women under arms died. About 20 million total.
35 million civilians caught in the cross fire all around the world.
6 million more burned in the Holocaust.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Einstein
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
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The Cold War: ~ 55,000,000 killed in various atrocities and military actions from WW2 until the fall of the Berlin wall.
(all numbers approximate)
Never forget.