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Remember

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

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00dozo said…
In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies grow
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.

John McCrae
nonamedufus said…
00dozo: Gosh, I recall reciting that as a kid in school.
Anonymous said…
I'm grateful!
nonamedufus said…
Quirks: And so should we all be. Too often we take the efforts of our soldiers - past and present - for granted, don't we?
00dozo said…
Me too, for a few years during grade school. They actually have poppies here, but I can never seem to find them or see anyone handing them out.

Do they still recite that poem at the ceremony on Parliament Hill??

And I believe that part the poem was printed on the back of the $10.00 bill at one point.
nonamedufus said…
00dozo: Yep, you're right about the $10 bill and it's actually sung at the ceremony at the War Memorial in Ottawa. Also, the line "To you from failing hands we throw / The torch; be yours to hold it high" is the official motto of the Montreal Canadiens. It was written on the wall of the team's locker room at both the Montreal Forum and the Bell Centre. Thank you Wikipedia!
Donnie said…
Happy Veteran's Day to you Canadiens as well. It's for all veterans so the exact date we "celebrate" it on makes no difference. Please never forget...
Linda Medrano said…
Veterans Day is something that we should always acknowledge. My whole family has been military for generations. My husband retired in June of 2009 after 25 years in the Air Force, part active duty, and part Reserves. I'm giving him some tonight.
nonamedufus said…
Linda: Some what?
Poppies! I wouldn't get that reference if I wasn't half British. I learned only yesterday that they're also a national symbol in Canada. We owe a might big debt to all the soldiers who've fought for God and country over the years.
Anji said…
We must never forget
nonamedufus said…
Mike: Big todo this year over the government's intention to levy a controversial tax on poppies that veteran sell. I mean, c'mon.
nonamedufus said…
Anji: You've got that right.

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