Remembrance Day
also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war;
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
"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most famous poems written during the First World War
Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote it on May 3, 1915, after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, the day before.
My husband and I have visited many cemetery's ( First and Second World War) in France and Belgium when he was posted in Germany.
For me being German , it was all very new and overwhelming . I truly came to respect the sacrifice that has been made by so many soldiers in those wars , the terror they lived through and the lives they lost.
Standing in Vimy Ridge on a cloudy day overlooking the country side in France, seeing the trench system up close and walking in those tunnels where soldiers fought for years in conditions non of us comfort loving citizen can even imagine, brought it to a new level of understanding what war is
Picture from Travelpod.com
No matter how you think about the wars past and those that go on today , it's the soldiers that have lived and live through them.
They deserve our respect !
Please take a moment to remember the soldiers that served and died in the wars past and present.
Their sacrifice shall not be forgotten.
You are really right.....we are never allowed to forget......thanks for this post....I did what you asked for...
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