Lest we forget.

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Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

My son came home from school with a poppy today.

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.

-John Alexander McCrae

Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:27 pm

Day is done...
Gone the sun
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky.
All is well...
Safely rest
God is nigh.

Fading light....
Dims the sight
And a star....
Gems the sky....
Gleaming bright
From afar....
Drawing nigh
Falls the night.

- Major General Daniel Butterfield

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 6:15 am

I'm deeply ashamed by what my forefathers did to soldiers and private persons in two world wars and promise to do my best to never let it happen again.

Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 4:50 pm

War turns all into animals. Remember the lost.

I have war dead on both sides of both world conflicts. Regardless of politcal climate of the time they fought for theit country and gave up the ultimate sacrifice for it.

Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 6:10 am

I took my kids to a production in Toronto a few years back, and a bunch of Canadian Forces guys were there. They had just finished a tour in Afghanistan, and their plane had landed only hours earlier. They were on a well-earned night off and having hell's own good time.

One of them had fresh scars all over one arm and one side of his face. When my son asked how it happened he (after asking me for permission to tell the truth) explained that a shoddy roadside bomb went off while he was removing it, tearing up his side and knocking out 2 teeth. Had it been a well made bomb, it would have wiped him out.

My 4 year-old asked him if he got those scars protecting us, he said "No, I got this protecting total strangers. For you, me and my team would stop six more bombs with our faces and we'd still get you home to your dad.". When my son said "thank you", the soldier hugged him.

I don't know if I could ever do the job those guys do. I don't even like heated arguments, so war is out of the question for me. But for those who fight, I've got a lot of deep respect.

War does bring out the worst in people, but it can also bring out the best.

Baiting Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 4747

It getting to be that time of year again, a time we should remember. Thanks for the poem.