~Remembrance Day~

[Snowwark]

In Flanders Fields

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' was written by a Canadian - John McCrae, a doctor and teacher, who served in the South African War and the First World War.

Thank you. We will never forget.

 

[Debbie]

My girls, members of the Amabile (am-aw-bill-ay) choir sang at the Vimy Ridge war monument this summer. We visited the Canadian museum-on CANADIAN soil in France- there and saw the cemetary, too. What a humbling experience. Later, we visited the trenches at Flanders. We walked IN the trenches and then down the road to the cemetary. Teenage girls were crying with the emotion of it all. Truly something that they will never forget. I've just three pics at: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankrastin106@rogers.com/detail?.dir=c50c&.dnm=7a77.jpg&.src=ph

Remembrance Day has a whole new meaning for me. I, too, say, THANK YOU to all who have served and are serving to keep our country free.

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

In the going down in the sun
We will remember them

 

[DisFan2]

Dona nobis pacem (Give us peace).

 

[Katdb]

I would just like to take this moment to remember all those that have served our country, past present and future. It is thanks to their courage that we enjoy many of our freedoms.

We remember their sacrifice
We remember their courage
We remember their love
We remember their families.

Thank you to everyone who has risked their lives to maintain the peace and freedom of the world.


Katdb

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Santayana

We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument. (Heather Robertson, A Terrible Beauty, The Art of Canada at War)

"Without freedom there can be no ensuring peace and without peace no enduring freedom."

 

[wenabre]

In response to Katdb, whose Father was a loyal serving member of the Canadian Navy and whose two Grandfathers both served in WW11, with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Army. Also Katdb has a great Uncle buried at Vimy Ridge. Katdb comes from a proud Military family and we would both like to thank those who wear the Poppy in Rememberance not only on their clothes but also in their hearts!

Their sacrifices have kept us free,
For the past many years,
Their memories linger on,
Through the laughter and the tears.

Let us remember those who have died,
In lands here and far away,
To help bring peace and happiness,
For all those who live today.

Snowwark, thanks for posting 'In Flanders Fields'. In our family it is a very special poem.

Wenabre ( Katdb's Mom)

 

[talicskai]

God Bless them..........

Thank You for the pictures....It was wonderful to actually see a poppy growing there.

 

[sammi]

Debbie what beautiful pictures......I loved seeing the poppies!

DH and I were in Tim Hortons at 11 am this morning and one of the staff announced that we'd have a minute of silence at 11 and we did......very nice.

May we never forget all those that served for us.

 

[Snowwark]

Debbie, I can only imagine how moving an experience that must of been. Truly something that would stay with you forever. Thank you for sharing that with us, and thank you for the pictures.

Wenabre and Katdb, thank you.

 

[Baboo]

My uncle was killed in the second world war and is buried in England. When Len and I were there in '86 we went to see his grave. It was very moving to see all of the graves and monuments there.
Thank you to all you have served to keep our country the way it is.

 

[cdnmickeylover]

We actually shut off the phones at 11am for 2 minutes of silence. I like that we do it every year.

Debbie - isn't the memorial moving. When I was 12 my family went to Europe for the summer and since my Dad is a history buff we visited all kinds of memorials. One - I wish I could remember where it was is an arch that has over 50,000 names on it of men who were killed in WWI. Even at 12 I remember looking at it and being in tears thinking about all those awesome men. We toured a trench from WWI on somebody's farm which was really interesting as well as he had dug up all kinds of artifacts on his family's farm including keeping the trench restored so that people could visit and actually feel what it must have been like. The most moving was the rows and rows of graves and looking at the ages.

I would love to go back now and revisit some of the sites and see the new museum on Juno Beach.

We can never repay them for the sacrifices they made. It hits closer to home now that my DS is in the reserves as well.