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| In Flanders Fields | |
| 2005-11-11 | |
| 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.
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| Posted by:Eric Jablow |
| #4 Or the Indian veterans of WW1 (600 000) and WW2 (2.5 million - the largest volunteer army in the world) They fought in Europe and Mesopotamia (WW1)(50 000 KIA) and in WW2 (36 000 KIA) - in North Africa against the Germans, in Eritrea and Abyssinia against the Italians, in Italy at the siege of Monte Cassino, in the Middle East, Iran and Iraq, in the Far East against the Japanese... Out of one million men of the Allied Armies in South-East Asia who fought the Japanese, 700,000 were Indians. Field Marshal 'Bill' Slim's 14th Army drove the Japanese out of Burma and South East Asia, annihilating three entire Japanese armies and inflicting the greatest defeat on land the Japanese empire ever suffered. Let those who come after, see to it that these names be not forgotten. For they who at the call of duty, left all that was dear to them. Endured hardships, faced dangers and finally passed out of sight of men. In the path of duty and self-sacrifice. Giving their lives that we might live in freedom - Tribute of the Madras Regiment. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-11 16:14 |
| #3 I got some sort of error message when I posted this; I didn't think it was going to get posted. I thank whichever of you did the editing. Let's not forget the Canadian veterans of WWI and WWII; sadly, the Canadians seem to have forgotten Ortona and Juno Beach. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2005-11-11 15:25 |
| #2 Thank you for posting this. I memorized it over 40 years ago in high school, and it still moves me to tears every time it remember it or read it. Unfortunately, the way the EUros have been behaving, methinks these good men "shall not sleep" among the poppies - now and won't for a long time to come. Happy (if that is the right word) Armistice Day / Veteran's Day. Thanks to all veterans for our freedom. Some days I think we don't deserve it. Most days I know a lot of the European continent doesn't. :-( |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-11-11 11:50 |
| #1 Thanks, Eric. Understanding the context of this poem will go a long way to explaining the embrace of 'appeasement' by the French (and many others) in both WWII and today. (Doesn't justify, just explains.) |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2005-11-11 10:33 |