Lest We Forget

Peru1936

New member
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.

- Lieutenant Colonel Dr. John McCrae


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A poppy, symbol of remembrance for those who lost their lives in combat.

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The National War Memorial, Ottawa.

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1st Battalion of the Royal Rifles of Canada and their mascot, a purebred Newfoundland dog, Gander. Gander saved a group of soldiers from the 1st Battalion from a Japanese grenade that landed near the group. Gander rushed to the grenade and, picking it up in his mouth, ran away with it where it wouldn't harm the group. The grenade killed Gander. He was awarded the Dicken Medal for his final act of bravery.

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Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ottawa
 
God bless our troops.

I pray for all the familys who have lost there love ones on this day, and may we remember our soldiers killed and the wounded at Fort Hood Texas. God Bless our troops!
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Peru1936 said:
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The National War Memorial, Ottawa.
This is a very touching photo of one of my favourite war memorials. The snowfall adds to its sadness.

Lest we forget...

P.S. Peru, were you aware that Paul Gross recently made a movie about Passchendaele? Among other battles, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment fought there (which I'm sure you know.)
 

Peru1936

New member
Stoo said:
This is a very touching photo of one of my favourite war memorials. The snowfall adds to its sadness.

Lest we forget...

P.S. Peru, were you aware that Paul Gross recently made a movie about Passchendaele? Among other battles, the Royal Newfoundland Regiment fought there (which I'm sure you know.)

Yes, it's a very sombre photo. The snow provides a sense of Canadiana.

No, I wasn't aware that Gross had made a film about the Battle of Passchendaele. Thanks for letting me know. I'll check it out and let you know what I think.

The Newfoundland Regiment (they weren't bestowed with the "Royal" until 1917) suffered so badly at the Battle of Beaumont Hamel that other battles that the regiment participated in, like Passchendaele, are chaptered second in Newfoundland war history. Of the nearly 800 men of the NR who were commanded over the top at 8:45am on July 1st, 1916, only 68 answered the roll call the next morning. Although the NR suffered a 90% casualty rate, within two weeks the regiment was back on the front lines.

The Gallipoli Campaign is also a storied and tragic battle as well, and the NR was the only regiment from North America to fight in that campaign.

This is the memorial at the battlefield at Beaumont Hamel. It was erected by Great Britain and France in honour of the Newfoundlanders who died at the battle.

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Goonie

New member
VeteransWeekRemembranceDay2.png

Thank you Veterans; to those who have fought, made the ultimate sacrifice, and to those soldiers that are continuing to serve.

Lest we forget.​

If you can, attend a Remembrance Day ceremony today. I'm heading out in a few minutes to attend one.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Peru1936 said:
This is the memorial at the battlefield at Beaumont Hamel. It was erected by Great Britain and France in honour of the Newfoundlanders who died at the battle.

caribo.jpg
Good G_d, that is gorgeous. Enough to make one weep...(Thanks for the extra info on the NR, Peru.)

My girlfriend was in England recently and she brought me back a UK poppy. It's more elaborate from the Canadian one (which I knew) but have never had one before. On the stem, there's even a tiny branch that is hidden underneath the bottom petal.

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Which brings me to these long-time-burning questions: How common/uncommon is it to wear poppies in the States on Rememberance/Veterans Day? Seeing as McCrae was a Canadian, is his poem read aloud at ceremonies/schools on this day? Is there an American version of the poppy?
Goonie said:
If you can, attend a Remembrance Day ceremony today. I'm heading out in a few minutes to attend one.
Hi, Goonie.:hat: I will be there in spirit because it's past 11:00am over here and it's not celebrated (although I did watch the London ceremony on TV this past weekend).
 

Goonie

New member
Stoo said:
Which brings me to these long-time-burning questions: How common/uncommon is it to wear poppies in the States on Rememberance/Veterans Day? Seeing as McCrae was a Canadian, is his poem read aloud at ceremonies/schools on this day? Is there an American version of the poppy?
Hi, Goonie.:hat: I will be there in spirit because it's past 11:00am over here and it's not celebrated (although I did watch the London ceremony on TV this past weekend).

Hey Stoo, reading the various Remembrance Day articles on the CBC and CTV websites over the last few days, I found out that the wearing of a poppy was actually started by an American woman. I'll try and find the article - it's interesting. A year later after she started it, the tradition began in Britain (I think this was in 1921).

I just got back about 10 minutes ago from Lions Park, where one of our local centophs are and one of our local ceremonies are held. The vets made some improvements to the park with lamp posts, benches and other amenities. It was a good ceremony with a big turn out of people; probably the most I've seen.
 

Peru1936

New member
Stoo said:
Good G_d, that is gorgeous. Enough to make one weep...(Thanks for the extra info on the NR, Peru.)

You're welcome, man.


I tried to find a video of Lightfoot's original, but to no avail. Here's an excellent cover:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVN7o6KUcdI&feature=related

Sit Down Young Stranger

I'm standing at the doorway,
My head bowed in my hands,
Not knowing where to sit
Not knowing where I stand.
My father looms above me,
For him there is no rest;
My mother's arms enfold me
And hold me to her breast.
They say you been out wandering,
They say you travelled far.
Sit down young stranger
And tell us who you are.

The room has all gone misty,
My thoughts are all in spin;
Sit down young stranger
And tell us where you been.

Well I've been up to the mountain,
I've walked down by the sea;
I never questioned no one
And no one questioned me.
My love was given freely
And oftimes was returned;
I never came to borrow,
I only came to learn.

Sometimes it did get lonely
But it taught me how to cry,
And laughter came too easy
For life to pass me by.
I never had a dollar
That I didn't earn with pride
'Cause I had a million daydreams
To keep me satisfied.

And will you gather daydreams,
Or will you gather wealth?
How can you find your fortune
When you cannot find yourself?
My mother's eyes grow misty,
There's a trembling in her hand.
Sit down young stranger,
I do not understand.

And will you try and tell us
You been too long at school,
That knowledge is not needed,
That power does not rule?
That war is not the answer,
That young men should not die?
Sit down young stranger,
I wait for your reply

The answer is not easy
For souls are not reborn;
To wear the crown of peace
You must wear the crown of thorns.
If Jesus had a reason
I'm sure he would not tell;
They treated him so badly
How could he wish them well?

The parlor now is empty,
There's nothing left to say.
My father has departed,
My mother's gone to pray.
There's rockets in the meadows
And ships out on the sea;
The answer's in the forest
Carved upon a tree.

John loves Mary,
Does anyone love me?

- Gordon Lightfoot
 

AlivePoet

New member
Truly, amazing poetry, and lest we forget...

But I'm sure you're aware, Peru, that Nov. 11 holds a different significance in South Korea... and I received many a package of choco from my students for the occasion. 빼빼로 day indeed. :p

Okay, so I bought my dear Korean friend a gift box of them...but she hearts them so!
 

Peru1936

New member
AlivePoet said:
Truly, amazing poetry, and lest we forget...

But I'm sure you're aware, Peru, that Nov. 11 holds a different significance in South Korea... and I received many a package of choco from my students for the occasion. 빼빼로 day indeed. :p

Okay, so I bought my dear Korean friend a gift box of them...but she hearts them so!

sigh... Yes, the contrived corporate holiday of Pepero Day.

My wife and I have sworn off 빼빼로 day. We both like them, but just shake our heads at the day.
 

AlivePoet

New member
Peru1936 said:
sigh... Yes, the contrived corporate holiday of Pepero Day.

My wife and I have sworn off 빼빼로 day. We both like them, but just shake our heads at the day.

This being my first year in Korea, I thought it'd be fun to take part, though my Korean friend and I are both equally aware of how it's a corporate greed spin. Still, it's a cute excuse to share a moment I think. :)
 

Peru1936

New member
AlivePoet said:
This being my first year in Korea, I thought it'd be fun to take part, though my Korean friend and I are both equally aware of how it's a corporate greed spin. Still, it's a cute excuse to share a moment I think. :)

No disagreements here.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Well, I had plans to go to Vimy Ridge in France tomorrow for Remembrance Day with a good friend who recently moved to Germany near the Belgian border but our plans have been scuttled, unfortunately.:(

Anyway, don't forget: Tomorrow (the 11th) at 11:00am...2 minutes of silence.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Me (from last year said:
Well, I had plans to go to Vimy Ridge in France tomorrow for Remembrance Day with a good friend who recently moved to Germany near the Belgian border but our plans have been scuttled, unfortunately.:(
Ninety-five years after the battle, the same friend mentioned above & I will be at Vimy Ridge this Sunday for Remembrance Day.

Please, honour the fallen on the 11th.

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Stoo

Well-known member
A Day to Remember

Me (from last year said:
Ninety-five years after the battle, the same friend mentioned above & I will be at Vimy Ridge this Sunday for Remembrance Day.
A year ago today, my friend and I drove to Vimy Ridge in northeastern France for the Remembrance Day ceremony and the trip was an experience to remember. We could see the monument from a great distance and, after arriving, it was truly a site to behold. Two towering pillars of stone adorned with magnificent sculptures (an example being in the picture above) stood majestically near the edge of the ridge.

The ground of the surrounding forest was pock-marked everywhere with grassy lumps and pits of the original shell craters, both small and HUGE. These craters stretched for miles and really gave a frightening sense of how ravaged & extensive the battlefield was. (All of these areas were restriced to walk through due to the danger of possible live explosives.)

Brisk air and an ominous fog covered the entire region which added to the melancholy mood.

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We also visted other places nearby, including a museum, a cemetary and 2 sets of actual WW1 trenches. One of these sets was in the Vimy park and pristinely manicured (like a golf course) but the other site was authentically preserved. Actually walking through its puddles & muddy paths reinforced to me how depressing & dismal those days must have been.

The cemetary chilled me to the bone since rows upon rows of headstones had countless numbers of graves for 2 to 6 anyonymous soldiers. Multitudes of men lost their lives in World War One for a completely senseless conflict...and that cemetary was only one of very many.

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My friend is down the middle there.

The day before, we had visited the site of the "Malmedy massacre" in Belgium (which has been depicted in a few movies). For those who don't know, it was an unwarranted slaughter of American troops who had surrendered to the Germans during WW2. One of the best war museums I've ever been to is right beside the killing grounds.

If you missed 11:00 AM today, give 2 minutes of silence whenever you can.
 
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