In Flanders Field

[DAB]

In Flanders Fields
BY JOHN MCCRAE

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.

[Ol Timer]

Does anyone still call this holiday Decoration Day?

[Mike Mercury]

[DAB]

Originally Posted by DAB

In Flanders Fields
BY JOHN MCCRAE

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.

And this is where wearing red poppies comes from.

[BADRACR1]

Reminds me of "The Gunner's Dream" By Pink Floyd (written by Roger Waters) about the tailgunner from a WWII bomber. A friend's dad was one in a B17 in Europe. Brave men, sitting back there exposed and alone.


The Gunner's Dream (Waters)

Floating down through the clouds
Memories come rushing up to meet me now.
In the space between the heavens
and in the corner of some foreign field
I had a dream.
I had a dream.
Good-bye Max.
Good-bye Ma.
After the service when you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band
You take her frail hand
And hold on to the dream.
A place to stay
"Oi! A real one ..."
Enough to eat
Somewhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street
Where you can speak out loud
About your doubts and fears
And what's more no-one ever disappears
You never hear their standard issue kicking in your door.
You can relax on both sides of the tracks
And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control
And everyone has recourse to the law
And no-one kills the children anymore.
And no one kills the children anymore.

Night after night
Going round and round my brain
His dream is driving me insane.
In the corner of some foreign field
The gunner sleeps tonight.
What's done is done.
We cannot just write off his final scene.
Take heed of his dream.
Take heed.

[marrepka]

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Dropkick Murphys - The Green Fields of France - YouTube

[Jeff '79]

Like a cobra they will strike
And like lions caged we'll fight
We were taken not by choice
They put anger in our voice
We were fearless but so afraid
Though in our hearts we still felt pain
We're on fire but on a leash
We only ever wanted peace
Never the heroes, we were made to fight
Never the heroes, we were just sacrificed at war
Like a demon leads the youth
We are terrible in truth
No time to falter, no turning back
When we come under attack
There is no question as with a friend
We have our honor to defend
We're on fire but on a leash
We only ever wanted peace
Never the heroes, we were made to fight
Never the heroes, we were just sacrificed at war
At war
We are together till the end
We have our honour to defend
Never the heroes, we were made to fight
Never the heroes, we were just sacrificed
Never the heroes (We were never the heroes)
We were made to fight (We were made to fight)
Never the heroes, we were sacrificed at war

[Thunder22]

Q. Why are red poppies worn on Veterans Day, and where can I obtain them?

A. The wearing of poppies in honor of America's war dead is traditionally done on Memorial Day, not Veterans Day. The practice of wearing of poppies takes its origin from the poem In Flanders Fields, written in 1915 by John McCrae. For information on how to obtain poppies for use on Memorial Day, contact a veterans service organization, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) or The American Legion, as a number of veterans organizations distribute poppies annually on Memorial Day. You can find veterans groups in the Veterans Service Organization link on VA's Veterans Day web page. Veterans groups in your area can be found in your local phone book. Look in the yellow pages under "Veterans and Military Organizations" or a similar heading.

[Thunder22]

As Veterans Day is tomorrow, I've been seeing a lot of well intentioned posts around the internet, and some are confused as to the difference so I thought I would try to help clear it up.

Don't get me wrong, any remembrance of anyone in the military on any day of the year is always a good thing, I'm just clearing up the differences

for the TL;DR folks: Memorial Day is to honor members of the military who died in service to their/our country, Veterans Day is to honor the living Veterans.


Q. What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

A. Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty.