Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Veteran's Day

I am proud to be an American and grateful for all those who have served our Country, my dad and brother were some of them. I was only a small girl when I began to understand what that sacrifice truly meant for our freedom. My oldest brother got seriously hurt in Vietnam and then as a 10  year old, I saw what all the worry and fears of my parents were all about. He only had a 10% chance of living, but after 18 months in the hospital and with a lot of pain, tears,  faith and prayers, he made it and went on with his life and has been an inspiration ever since. So please take time tomorrow to say thanks and pray for all those men, women and families that sacrifice so much to protect our freedom.


John McCrae lived from 1872 to 1918. A Canadian physician, he fought on the Western Front in 1914. Soon he was transferred to the medical corps and assigned to a hospital in France. He died of pneumonia while on active duty in 1918. He is perhaps most remembered for his poem about the famous poppies concurrent with the soldiers who had died. He wrote his famous poem In Flanders Fields the day after presiding at the funeral of a friend and former student. His poem is now a memorial to all Veterans.


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.

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."  ~Author unknown

"Freedom is never free."  ~Author Unknown

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