A Debt We Can Never Repay
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.
— “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
These famous words were penned in May of 1915 by a WWI brigade surgeon, who was struck by the sight of blooming red poppies amid a ravaged battlefield in the Flanders region of Belgium. Shortly thereafter, the red poppy became the official symbol for honoring fallen soldiers, both here and abroad.
President Ronald Reagan once remarked that there’s special sadness that accompanies the death of a serviceman. “For we’re never quite good enough to them. Not really; we can’t be. Because what they gave us is beyond our powers to repay. And so, when a serviceman dies, it’s a tear in the fabric, a break in the whole, and all we can do is remember.”
Lest We Forget
This Memorial Day let’s set aside time to honor the brave men and women who fought to defend our freedom and paid the ultimate price. Here are a few suggestions:
- Wear a red poppy or display a few in your home.
- Fly the American flag (at half-staff until noon, and then full-staff for the rest of the day).
- Attend a Memorial Day parade.
- Wherever you are, pause for a moment of silence at 3:00 p.m. local time (the National Moment of Remembrance).
- Be thankful for our fallen soldiers and remember their families in your thoughts and prayers.
Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
Poetry Foundation
BBC.com
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs