"In Flanders Fields"
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.
— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 – 1918)
Every year, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. This day is known as Armistice Day (France, New Zealand, and many other Commonwealth countries), Remembrance Day (U.K., Australia, and Canada), and Veterans Day (America), but the purpose is the same.
We mark this day as a day of remembrance. We take this time to go out of our way to remember the sacrifices made by those who took part in this war, in addition to those who gave themselves to the conflicts that would follow: World War II, the Korean War, and the other conflicts that are still fresh in our memories, and some that are ongoing still.
I like to take this time to remember that there have been many men and women throughout these years who showed great courage, who suffered, and who gave their lives while shouldering the difficult burden of having to face violence in the struggle for peace.
Feel free to use this space share your thoughts, memories, and well-wishes.
There is only one thing I ask of you: Never forget.