IN FLANDERS FIELDS

by John McCrae

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.

During the early days of the Second Battle of Ypres a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2nd May, 1915 in the gun positions near Ypres. An exploding German artillery shell landed near him. He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander Major John McCrae.

As the brigade doctor, John McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for Alexis because the chaplain had been called away somewhere else on duty that evening. It is believed that later that evening, after the burial, John began the draft for his now famous poem “In Flanders Fields”.

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RT Rider
RT Rider

I was in Ypres four years ago and visited the War I museum. It is an impressive museum and conveys the utter devastation the area suffered during the war. Of course, McCrae’s poem featured prominently in the museum.

Ypres is a beautiful town, especially the core, but it is mostly reproductions of the buildings that existed prior to the war. The town hall is such a good facsimile, that you think it’s hundreds of years old.

Anonymous
Anonymous

“What if there was a war and no-one showed up?”

I’ve heard that question asked on TBP a few times. Even though wars are disagreements between very small groups of elites, I don’t think there will ever be a war where no-one shows up. I had a party last night and a 41 Year old veteran came. He is retiring soon. His wife was able to use his G.I. bill to get all the way through a B.S. and med school. He is in, what looks like perfect physical and mental condition. He gets health care, PTSD pay and wounded(?) pay, full education for his wife and retirement. America complains about how many military soldiers have been lost in the last few decades. How many lives have they taken? I asked him 2 questions. 1) why does America have to be in so many countries and 2) who is the aggressor when one country surrounds another country with military bases. He said if my commander tells me to jump, I do it without a second thought and he said be thankful you’re able to sleep safely at night.

The $$ and the HOORAH!!! will insure war never fades.

Not Sure

There are 2 issues here, the political aspiring rations of politicians/generals who propose and the properly dispose of the finest of Americans to fight the hun, the jap, and the cong.
The ones who fight may of not know the particulars of whether the fight is for the land or some political hidden agenda, but they do conduct themselves as you have written, because that is how the military works. Be thankful for that because there may be a time when there is a threat against our country and you will be thankful that there are men who will fight.

kokoda the Deplorable Raccoon and I-LUV-CO2
kokoda the Deplorable Raccoon and I-LUV-CO2

What stuns me are the military and police type that simply ‘follow orders’, regardless of morality of the order or crime against humanity.

This is after the Nuremberg Trials where following orders was determined not a valid excuse for a ‘Not Guilty’ determination.

Ghost

we got out way too early. One of my crew buddies slid into the National Guard, full-time, which was a good gig because they promoted her into the TSgt position from SSgt, giving her a leap to MSgt, then Chief was a spitwad from that. I went to her “retirement” sale at her home on the golf course (husband was a Chief, as well) and saw racks and racks of flight suits for a dollar each.

When I got out of the Air Force, I had to turn four flight suits in or pay $150 each for them. She and her husband must have had several thousand dollars in flight suits just stacked everywhere.

Michael Keane

At present there are over 120,000 victims to suicide; as “veterans” they average 20 per day, it is said.

https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2016/07/07/new-va-study-finds-20-veterans-commit-suicide-each-day/

The US has been played to the bone by European banking and oil Greed, while the “poppies” in service to “remembrance”? of Flanders’ fields these days, is a ridiculous joke when stacked against the true hero in present-day criminal Greed.

The Tyrants have never faltered. The United States is uniquely-suited to destroy those Tyrants.

The verse and celebration of the Constitution of these United States will ultimately Trump romantic voyeurism in the form of poetic delusion. The reality is millions were disfigured and murdered to suit the designs of a minority, in-breeding, of socio and psycho pathetic Usurious Filth.

The men and women who gave selflessly of themselves deserve more and their condition needs find restitution among the criminal Filth that wasted them thoughtlessly, line upon line. That is the only verse inherent to their Sacrifice that should linger in the public memory.

Thank you for your Service. Thank you for your Selflessness. God Bless You. God Bless your comrades.
This country is Blessed and it will be restored in the Constitution and Original Intent of the Founders.

MrLiberty
MrLiberty

Poppy fields 1918:
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Poppy fields 2018:
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