Veterans Day 2020

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The red poppy is the symbol of Veteran’s Day internationally largely due to a poem (see below) written during World War I.  The chosen day, November the 11, is a nod to Armistice Day, the last day of the war in 1918, and is celebrated in the United States to give thanks to those who have served in our military.
Charlie Mackesy

So, let us take a moment this 11th to thank those who have served and still serve our country.   

Over one hundred years ago a Canadian soldier wrote the following poem.  The poppy, which likes to grow in disturbed ground, such as the shell-churned soil from the salient of World War I, became an emblem of remembrance.

 

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae - 1872-1918

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.

 

Books for Veteran’s Day:

Above the dreamless dead : World War I in poetry and comics

 

Odysseus in America:  combat trauma and the trials of homecoming

 

Veteran Narratives and the Collective Memory of the Vietnam War  

 

The Red Badge of Courage