Veteran's Day

[Spider]

I remember, as a child, having to stop whatever I was doing occasionally and standing still and being quiet for a minute. I realised later that this occurred regularly, once a year. This tradition went on as I grew up and I noticed it took place every November – at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. November 11th, 11:11am

It was Armistice Day to commemorate The War To End All Wars. Old men (old, to me,anyway) had been accepting donations and giving away little red imitation poppies for several days, so I came to know November 11th as Poppy Day. (I didn't know what armistice meant.) And, as regularly as clockwork, my whole world stopped for a minute at eleven minutes past eleven.


Even though the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, the end of hostilities had already begun at 11.00am. on 11th.November, 1918. President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day. It was originally to be observed with parades and brief suspension of business beginning at 11am.

The US Congress passed an act in 1938 making Armistice Day a legal holiday to be set aside to honor Veterans of "The Great War" but it wasn't until 1954 that they amended the act to be known as Veterans Day - a day of celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Armistice Day/Veteran's day is honored throughout the Western World.

Unfortunately, in the hustle and bustle of today's world, we tend to ignore the things that make our various countries great. Today, November 11th, take a few moments to share this important reminder of the sacrifices that have been made by heroes everywhere.

And celebrate the freedom they gave us.

The poppies, by the way, are to commemorate the Battles of Flanders, when several decisive battles took place in Flanders, Belgium, in fields of wild poppies.

I will be taking a minute of remembrance this morning at eleven minutes past eleven. Won't you join me?

[Patrysha]

Here it has always been commemorated at 11:00am not 11:11. I was stunned yesterday when someone asked on twitter what the red flowers on ppls avatars were. I had to ask if they were serious before I answered...In Flanders Fields, the poppies grow, Between the crosses, row on row...how could anyone not remember that whole poem without goosebumps...

Of course, we won't be going to the cenotaph today. I have to work...sigh...

[Harold Mansfield]

As a Veteran, I'm ashamed to say that I either didn't know the history of the day or have forgotten, I may have learned it in Basic but that was 20 years ago. I don't think I ever knew the story of the poppies though.
Thanks for posting that Frederick.

[Spider]

"In Flanders Field" holds that place in British and previously-British (Canadian, Australian, etc) hearts that The "Defence of Fort McHenry" holds in American hearts - This poem written in 1814 by lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, became, as you all know, America's national Anthem, "The Star-spangled Banner."

----
Summer, 1915. World War I. English and French armies had dug in their heels against the bulldozer onslaught of the German army as it ploughed its way across the plains of Flanders. After a day of ferocious fighting following the second battle of Ypres, the sun rose on a relatively quiet battlefield.

Col. John McCrae cautiously poked his head above the security of his trench to be met with the horrifying sight of row upon row of makeshift crosses littering the plains before him: ghostly reminders of the grim aftermath of the earlier battle marking the graves of the fallen.

McCrae, a Canadian veteran of the Second Boer War and professor of medicine at McGill University in Montreal, was struck with admiration at the courage of the dead and overwhelmed by awe at their selflessness as he caught sight of the tiny, red poppies dancing lazily in the gentle breeze among the grave markers of his fallen comrades. Inspired by the sight, and by the memories of the previous days of vicious fighting, McCrae grabbed a pad of paper and pen and quickly began to write down the words that had suddenly appeared in his mind. In minutes, his creation was complete:

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.

McCrae's fellow commanders read the poem and encouraged him to publish it. He submitted his simple poem to Britain's famous Punch magazine, which readily published it in a rarely-used bold type. The effects of the poem washed across Britain like a giant wave. All of Britain was moved and encouraged by the words, and the poem quickly spread throughout the allied nations.

The poppy became a symbol of 'Life' and 'Resurrection': the red petals were the colour of the blood that stained the battlefield; the yellow/black centre represented the mud and desolation; the green of the stem became representative of the forests and fields where generations of men have died to make their land free; the stem itself symbolized the courage of the fallen soldiers. Life and freedom, all in this tiny, overlooked flower.

In 1918, a seriously-wounded Col. John McCrae was carried by stretcher to a rear base hospital on the coast of France and placed in a room where he might look out the window toward the Dover cliffs across the channel. He died three nights later.

McCrae's final words, according to his doctor, were: "Tell them this, if ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep."

Colonel John McCrae was buried in the cemetery of Wimereux, France.


( In Flanders Field - Legacy of Colonel John McCrae (http://www3.sympatico.ca/goweezer/canada/flanders.htm) )

[greenoak]

me for sure, im a gold star child.ww2, pacific...... thanks spider for reminding us.... i think there might be one ww1 guy left....and the ww2 guys are going fast....

[KristineS]

I've known the In Flanders Field poem for years. Probably could only recite the beginning lines now, but it is a moving poem.

[Harold Mansfield]

Spent the evening watching WWII specials and documentaries. I am still amazed at the scale of WWII and how many different battle theaters were happening simultaneously for so many years.
Some quick excerpts that stood out...

One pilot recalling a mission of 1000 bombers with 10 men on each plane.

Another recalling a battle to hold off the Germans, but couldn't get air support because of cloud cover..just as it seemed they wouldn't be able to hold it a small opening in the clouds opened up. Just enough to allow a few planes through. The other support bombers followed and they ended up destroying the German line and capturing over 2k German soldiers.

Another recalling a POW camp with 65k soldiers, who were dying from conditions at a rate of 400 a day.

Of course the amount of casualties in the first 24 hours of the D-Day invasion at Normandy.

Not to mention the scale of our Navy in the Pacific and European seas. Just seeing that old film of the amount of ships that battled across the Pacific is mind blowing.

Another special was about the 24 military cemeteries that we keep up around the world where thousands of American WWI and WWII soldiers are buried in France, Belgium, Italy (just think of how Vatican City would have been affected if Mussolini had his way or Allied troops didn't hold the Germans back) , The Netherlands, The Philippines, and other countries and how school kids take field trips to learn and honor the American soldiers that died on their soil to liberate them. One guy even sang the Star Spangled Banner in Dutch because they actually learn it in school.

One guy was remarking how upset people get today when 10 soldiers are KIA today or that the total count is over 2k for the Iraq/Afghanistan war..he said "Hell, I've been in battles where we would loose 2k guys in a couple of hours".

I also didn't know that Patton is buried on foreign soil and Glenn Miller (the composer musician) died in WWII as well as Olympic Athletes, whole families of brothers, sons and fathers...just heartbreaking and patriotic at the same time.

The gravity and size of WWII is still just amazing to me.

Over 16 million American veterans served. Over 450k killed, and over 630k wounded in action.
Total killed worldwide is estimated at between 62-78 million.
Just staggering.

[jamesray50]

My 86 year old Dad is a WWII veteran. He had a big smile on his face yesterday when I wished him a Happy Veteran's Day. One of my Facebook friends suggested we all change our profile pictures yesterday to a picture of someone we knew who was serving or had served in the military. I proudly changed my profile picture to a picture of my Dad in his Army uniform. I think I will make that an annual occurance.