To you from failing hands we throw the torch
Memorial Day
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.” — General George S. Patton Jr.
In Flanders Fields
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, 1872-1918
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 blow
In Flanders fields.
Category: Politics
Thanks for that, Sergeant Major. In a nation of an all-volunteer military, representing less than one-percent of the population and fighting never ending wars, I think these words of Winston Churchill’s have never been more true:
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
along the same lines of thought today…
http://justacommonsoldier.com/
So many flags. So many cold stones. So many names. So many wars. Each a real person departed from us. Father, brother, son, mother, daughter, wife. I sent my child to war with my blessing. And by God’s grace he did return. Many are not so lucky. Their stones lie in the cold ground. On this day do I remember and grieve for lives not lived and thank God for the liberty that they bought for me with their lives.
Amen.
This reminds me of a poem fragment I memorized when my paternal grandpa died back in the 1990s. It’s from ‘The Garden of Prosperpine’ by Algernon Charles Swinburne:
From too much love of living,
From hope and fear set free.
We thank with brief thanksgiving,
Whatever gods may be.
That no life lives forever;
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
Winds someplace safe to sea.
The souls of these fine men and women are ‘safe at sea’. Rest in peace; you’ve earned it.
Watching The Battle of Britain on DVD right now.
Truly I am grateful that such men and women have lived.
Mankind has never known a period without war since the beginning of civilization.
The best way to ensure peace is to prepare for war.
Thank you to those that served then as now.
I have spent the evening recounting to my 9 yr old grandson what war is really like (vs video games) Tomorrow we are taking some flags to the local vet cemetary. Now I am drinking a stiff scotch in honor of my Great grandfather (WW1) my Grandfather (WW1) my Dad (WW2) my brother (korea) next brother (nam twice). RIP my loved ones.