In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

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.



--�

Debbie

(Email account is valid but one I do not check. To email use above name dot
neill at sympatico dot ca)

"Debbie" > wrote in
:

> In Flanders Fields
> By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
> Canadian Army
>
> 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.
>
>



We Shall Keep the Faith

by Moina Michael, November 1918

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.




Moina Belle Michael was born near Good Hope, Walton County, Georgia, USA
on August 15, 1869. At the age of 15 Moina began her career as a
teacher, spending time in every section of the educational system in
Georgia, teaching in county, town, state and church schools.

The idea for the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy came to Moina Michael
while she was working at the YMCA Overseas War Secretaries' headquarters
on a Saturday morning in November 1918, two days before the Armistice
was declared at 11 o'clock on 11 November

At about 10.30am, when everyone was on duty elsewhere, Moina found a few
moments to read the magazine. In it she came across a page which carried
a vivid colour illustration for the poem "We Shall Not Sleep" (later
named "In Flanders Fields") by the Canadian Army doctor John McCrae.

Reading the poem on this occasion - she had read it many times before -
Moina was transfixed by the last verse - "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."

At that moment Moina Michael made a personal pledge to 'keep the faith'
and vowed always to wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a sign of
remembrance and as an emblem for "keeping the faith with all who died."

Compelled to make a note of this pledge she hastily scribbled down a
response on the back of a used envelope, entitled "We Shall Keep the
Faith"

Moina Michael died on 10 May 1944

http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/poppy_sig.html



Significance of the Poppy
The story of how the Poppy became an international symbol of remembrance
is a remarkable one.
In Flanders Fields
John McCrae

Lt-Col John McCrae


The association of the red poppy — the Flanders Poppy — with battlefield
deaths as a natural symbol of resurrection and remembrance dates back to
the Napoleonic Wars when poppies were the first plant to grow in the
churned up soil of soldiers' graves in the area of Flanders.

This connection between the red poppy and war dead was renewed over a
century later on the Western Front during the First World War.

It was verses by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918), a Canadian
Medical Officer, which began the intriguing process by which the
Flanders Poppy became immortalised worldwide as the symbol of
remembrance: The inspiration for the verses had been the death of a
fellow officer, Lt Alexis Helmer, of the 1st Brigade Canadian Field
Artillery on 2 May 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres (Ieper) in
western Belgium, for whom McCrae had performed the burial service.
McCrae's verses, which he had scribbled in pencil on a page torn from
his despatch book, were sent anonymously by a fellow officer to the
English magazine, Punch, which published them under the title 'In
Flanders Fields' on 8 December 1915.
The Challenge

Three years later, McCrae himself died of pneumonia at Wimereux near
Boulogne, France, on 28 January 1918. On his deathbed, McCrae reportedly
lay down the challenge:

"Tell them this, if ye break faith with us who die,
we shall not sleep."

The Response

Among the many people moved by McCrae's poem a YMCA canteen worker in
New York, Miss Moina Michael (1869-1944), who, two days before the
Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, wrote a reply entitled 'We
Shall Keep the Faith':

"We Shall Keep the Faith"

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet-to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With all who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valour led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy red
We wear in honour of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

Michael also originated the idea of the red poppy as a symbol of
remembrance.
Origins of the Memorial Poppy



Moina Michael

The idea for the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy, Moina Michael recalled
in her 1941 book The Miracle Flower, came to her while working at the
YMCA Overseas War Secretaries' Headquarters on a Saturday morning, 9
November 1918. The Twenty-Fifth Conference of the Overseas YMCA War
Secretaries was in progress. During a lull in proceedings Moina glanced
through a copy of the November Ladies Home Journal and came across
McCrae's poem re-titled "We Shall Not Sleep". The last few lines
transfixed her:

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.

Moina Michael hereafter made a personal pledge to 'keep the faith' and
vowed always to wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a symbol of
remembrance. Compelled to make a note of this pledge she hastily
scribbled her response, entitled "We Shall Keep the Faith", on the back
of a used envelope.

When the Conference delegates gave Moina a gift of ten dollars in
appreciation of her assistance, she went to a New York department store
and purchased 25 artificial red poppies and, pinning one on her own
collar, distributed the remainder to the YMCA secretaries with an
explanation of her motivation. She viewed this act as the first group
distribution of the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy.

Moina Michael hereafter tirelessly campaigned to get the poppy adopted
as a national symbol of remembrance. In September 1920 the American
Legion adopted the Poppy as such at its annual Convention. Attending
that Convention was a French woman who was about to promote the poppy —
as a symbol of remembrance — throughout the world.
International Symbol of Remembrance
widows making poppies

French widows, many with children on their laps, hand-making hundreds of
thousands of poppies in the early 1920s for distribution to veterans
organisations around the world, including the NZRSA.

Madame E. Guérin, conceived the idea of widows manufacturing artificial
poppies in the devastated areas of Northern France which then could be
sold by veterans' organisations worldwide for their own veterans and
dependants as well as the benefit of destitute French children.
Throughout 1920-21, Guérin and her representatives approached veteran
organisations' in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New
Zealand and urged them to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

It was as a result of the efforts of Michael and Guérin — both of whom
became known endearingly as the "Poppy Lady" — that the poppy became an
international symbol of remembrance.

Little Green Tents

The little green tents where the soldiers sleep
And the sunbeams play and the women weep
Are covered with flowers today

And between the tents walk the weary few
Who were young and stalwart in 'sixty-two
When they went to the war away

The little green tents are built of sod
And they are not long, and they are not broad
But the soldiers have lots of room

And the sod is part of the land they saved
When the flag of the enemy darkly waved
The symbol of dole and doom

The little green tent is a thing divine
The little green tent is a country's shrine
Where patriots kneel and pray

And the brave men left, so old, so few
Were young and stalwart in 'sixty-two
When they went to the war away

~~Uncle Walt Mason 1916

Thanks for that information. I didn't know.

```````````

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:14:44 +0100 (CET), PeterLucas >
wrote:

>
>http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/poppy_sig.html
>
>
>
>Significance of the Poppy
>The story of how the Poppy became an international symbol of remembrance
>is a remarkable one.
>In Flanders Fields
>John McCrae
>
>Lt-Col John McCrae
>
>
>The association of the red poppy — the Flanders Poppy — with battlefield
>deaths as a natural symbol of resurrection and remembrance dates back to
>the Napoleonic Wars when poppies were the first plant to grow in the
>churned up soil of soldiers' graves in the area of Flanders.
>
>This connection between the red poppy and war dead was renewed over a
>century later on the Western Front during the First World War.
>
>It was verses by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (1872-1918), a Canadian
>Medical Officer, which began the intriguing process by which the
>Flanders Poppy became immortalised worldwide as the symbol of
>remembrance: The inspiration for the verses had been the death of a
>fellow officer, Lt Alexis Helmer, of the 1st Brigade Canadian Field
>Artillery on 2 May 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres (Ieper) in
>western Belgium, for whom McCrae had performed the burial service.
>McCrae's verses, which he had scribbled in pencil on a page torn from
>his despatch book, were sent anonymously by a fellow officer to the
>English magazine, Punch, which published them under the title 'In
>Flanders Fields' on 8 December 1915.
>The Challenge
>
>Three years later, McCrae himself died of pneumonia at Wimereux near
>Boulogne, France, on 28 January 1918. On his deathbed, McCrae reportedly
>lay down the challenge:
>
> "Tell them this, if ye break faith with us who die,
> we shall not sleep."
>
>The Response
>
>Among the many people moved by McCrae's poem a YMCA canteen worker in
>New York, Miss Moina Michael (1869-1944), who, two days before the
>Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, wrote a reply entitled 'We
>Shall Keep the Faith':
>
> "We Shall Keep the Faith"
>
> Oh! You who sleep in Flanders Fields,
> Sleep sweet-to rise anew!
> We caught the torch you threw
> And holding high, we keep the Faith
> With all who died.
>
> We cherish, too, the poppy red
> That grows on fields where valour led;
> It seems to signal to the skies
> That blood of heroes never dies,
> But lends a lustre to the red
> Of the flower that blooms above the dead
> In Flanders Fields.
>
> And now the Torch and Poppy red
> We wear in honour of our dead.
> Fear not that ye have died for naught;
> We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
> In Flanders Fields.
>
>Michael also originated the idea of the red poppy as a symbol of
>remembrance.
>Origins of the Memorial Poppy
>
>
>
>Moina Michael
>
>The idea for the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy, Moina Michael recalled
>in her 1941 book The Miracle Flower, came to her while working at the
>YMCA Overseas War Secretaries' Headquarters on a Saturday morning, 9
>November 1918. The Twenty-Fifth Conference of the Overseas YMCA War
>Secretaries was in progress. During a lull in proceedings Moina glanced
>through a copy of the November Ladies Home Journal and came across
>McCrae's poem re-titled "We Shall Not Sleep". The last few lines
>transfixed her:
>
> 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.
>
>Moina Michael hereafter made a personal pledge to 'keep the faith' and
>vowed always to wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a symbol of
>remembrance. Compelled to make a note of this pledge she hastily
>scribbled her response, entitled "We Shall Keep the Faith", on the back
>of a used envelope.
>
>When the Conference delegates gave Moina a gift of ten dollars in
>appreciation of her assistance, she went to a New York department store
>and purchased 25 artificial red poppies and, pinning one on her own
>collar, distributed the remainder to the YMCA secretaries with an
>explanation of her motivation. She viewed this act as the first group
>distribution of the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy.
>
>Moina Michael hereafter tirelessly campaigned to get the poppy adopted
>as a national symbol of remembrance. In September 1920 the American
>Legion adopted the Poppy as such at its annual Convention. Attending
>that Convention was a French woman who was about to promote the poppy —
>as a symbol of remembrance — throughout the world.
>International Symbol of Remembrance
>widows making poppies
>
>French widows, many with children on their laps, hand-making hundreds of
>thousands of poppies in the early 1920s for distribution to veterans
>organisations around the world, including the NZRSA.
>
>Madame E. Guérin, conceived the idea of widows manufacturing artificial
>poppies in the devastated areas of Northern France which then could be
>sold by veterans' organisations worldwide for their own veterans and
>dependants as well as the benefit of destitute French children.
>Throughout 1920-21, Guérin and her representatives approached veteran
>organisations' in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New
>Zealand and urged them to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
>
>It was as a result of the efforts of Michael and Guérin — both of whom
>became known endearingly as the "Poppy Lady" — that the poppy became an
>international symbol of remembrance.


--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smiley face first

On Nov 11, 5:17 am, "Debbie" > wrote:
> In Flanders Fields
[snip]

I think Wilfred Owens' poem nails the truthiness:
(second stanza)

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest13
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.

[the old Lie: it is sweet and right to die for your country] -
aem

"Janet" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Debbie" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In Flanders Fields
>> By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
>> Canadian Army
>>
>> IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

<<<Clipped>>>

>> 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.
>>
>
> The beginning of that poem is moving, but the claptrap about
> "throwing the torch" is, as others have pointed out, almost
> criminally stupid. "Take up our quarrel with the foe," meant
> "No negotiated peace with Germany." That is the message that
> resulted in the completely meaningless deaths and cripplings
> of literally millions of mostly young men as the carnage of
> trench warfare ground on and on.

It is still saddening to read the nationalistic enthusiasm of
the time. Some unfortunately learned the hard way, like the
ultra-patriot Rudyard Kipling who pulled strings to allow his
very short-sighted son to join the army at 18. He was killed on
his first day in the trenches, probably unable to see in the
rain, with or without glasses. Kipling has this verse in his
Epitaphs of the War (1914-18):

COMMON FORM
If any question why we died,
Tell them, because our fathers lied.


--
Jim Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:17:01 -0500, "Janet" >
wrote:

>
>"Debbie" > wrote in message
...
>> In Flanders Fields
>> By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
>> Canadian Army
>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
>>
>> --?
>>
>> Debbie
>>
>> (Email account is valid but one I do not check. To email use above name
>> dot
>> neill at sympatico dot ca)
>>
>
>The beginning of that poem is moving, but the claptrap about "throwing the
>torch" is, as others have pointed out, almost criminally stupid. "Take up
>our quarrel with the foe," meant "No negotiated peace with Germany." That
>is the message that resulted in the completely meaningless deaths and
>cripplings of literally millions of mostly young men as the carnage of
>trench warfare ground on and on.
>

War is a terrible thing, and to be avoided, unless the alternative is
worse.

Ron Kelley

Ron wrote:
> War is a terrible thing, and to be avoided, unless the alternative is
> worse.

For the United States, right now, at this moment, the alternative would
have been much better.