Memorial Day & Weekend

[moreluck]

Poppies, the tradition......

Every year around this time we see the veterans in front of the grocery stores with the red paper poppies. They are raising money for disabled and needy military veterans. It's a tradition that dates back more than 80 years. It was inspired by a poem written about wars and those who die in them.
The poem was written in 1915 by a Canadian army medical officer named John McRae, after the WWI battle of Apres in Belgium. As he wrote the poem he was looking over a military cemetery that was covered with wildflowers blowing in the wind. The poem is called "In Flanders Fields".


[SIZE=+1]IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Between the crosses row on row,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]That mark our place; and in the sky[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The larks, still bravely singing, fly[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Scarce heard amid the guns below.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]We are the Dead. Short days ago[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Loved and were loved, and now we lie[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]In Flanders fields.[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Take up our quarrel with the foe:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]To you from failing hands we throw[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]The torch; be yours to hold it high.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]If ye break faith with us who die[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]We shall not sleep, though poppies grow[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]In Flanders fields.[/SIZE]

Thanks to Gordon Dillow, O.C. Register columnist for the reminder of what the poppies mean.

 

[Jones]

That's always been one of my favorite poems. It's Ypres, by the way, not "Apres". It's my understanding that John Mcrae wrote that poem upon learning of the death of one of his closest friends. The First World War was horrific and much of the slaughter was pretty senseless. Wilfred Owen was another poet who, like John Mcrae, did not survive the war. They both died in 1918.

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.


Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! -- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under I green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.


If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, --
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.



By: Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

 

[DS]

http://www.canoe.ca/RemembranceDay/poppy.html

 

[wkmac]

I think Monday would be an excellent day to take the kids to their grandfather's grave (WW2 Vet) and let them place an American Flag there. Thanks for the idea folks!

Today and tomorrow is for some serious grillin, chillin and swillin so you guys enjoy the holiday. Nobody likes war but no matter the political reasons, God Bless all and their families who do and have served this country with our armed forces because inside their hearts lay the real reasons that matter and you did it because you wanted us to have freedom and security. Anybody who would make that sacrifice no matter what anyone sez is a true Red, White and Blue hero in my book.

 

[scratch]

I think Monday would be an excellent day to take the kids to their grandfather's grave (WW2 Vet) and let them place an American Flag there. Thanks for the idea folks!

Excellent idea, I hope everyone will remember the real reason for this holiday, like the saying goes, freedom doesn't come free. Last week, we had a big parade in town when our 48th regiment of the Ga. National Guard came back from Iraq. As a boy scout leader, I have taken boys out on this day to put American flags on the graves of veterens that the local American Legion suppiled us with. We should remember all our veterens.

As for me, I will remember them all, and will fire up the grill and smoker and have a few cold ones.

 

[DS]

We have remembrance day here in Canada nov 11th every year where theres tons of vets selling poppies eveywhere.Everyone contributes.But its not a holiday.We get Victoria day.It all started with queen victoria way back in the early 1800`s in England and in 1953 was declared an official holiday.We now call it the May 2-4 weekend.Spring is here,snow is gone,time to grab a 2-4,fire up the barbecue and smell the meat.
By the way,I`m a tad p`o`d (Mr.Bush)about needing a passport to visit your purple mountain majesties.You guys need a new president cuz this one is a dud.Have a nice day off, I gotta get up at 5:45 AM

 

[DS]

WOW everyone is so busy down there...anyone remember the chat room?