Celebrating the End of "The War to End All Wars"

Veteran's Day is held on the anniversary of Armistice Day, the day World War I came to an end. There was hope that the brutality of this war would persuade people to no longer use military might to solve a country's problems. Unfortunately, this proved to not be the case. Read the poem below written in the spring of 1915, two years before the United States actually entered the war. War is such a waste.

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.

by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD This is a picture of him.


BTW the orginazation Veterans of Foreign Wars uses the poppy as their symbol. Here is a link to the page that explains the history of their use of the poppy.