Lest We Forget

[Ben Kenobi]

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.

[SlowwHand]

That's beautiful. That, Taps and Missing Man Formation get me every time.

This is Veteran's Day. All who have served. What's cool is that several restaurants have started giving a free meal thanks to anyone who has a military I.D., DD-214, American Legion or VFW membership card.
Thanks back.

[Ben Kenobi]

I find some of the British Poets preferable, but this is traditional...

What is the Missing Man Formation?

[SlowwHand]

It's symbolic of a loss. A plane peels off from the formation, leaving a missing slot.

[Ben Kenobi]

Would be nice to catch a Vet's day for once, although I do love Armistice Day here. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and it won't snow.

[SlowwHand]

Memorial Day is a bigger deal. It's only recently that they've started giving veterans free meals. I have to tell you, I have to be honest. Food is a real big thing to me.
The posts have food a lot. I go to the VFW at Thanksgiving with my mom and brothers, and usually Summer will drop by.

See, Thanksgiving isn't far away and I love it.
Football on Thanksgiving. Free food and football. There aren't many things that beat that, as far as I'm concerned.

[-Jrabbit]

To all on Poly who have served, my heartfelt thanks.

[Ben Kenobi]

Memorial Day is a bigger deal.

Yeah, that will take some getting used to. We do honour the Queen the week earlier, but the holidays are nothing near the same. Memorial Day is like your opening to summer, while Vicky's B-day is our spring.

[bc1871]

In days of yore, from Britain's shore,

Wolfe, the dauntless hero, came
And planted firm Britannia's flag
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast and pride
And, joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine


The Maple Leaf forever!

The Maple Leaf, our emblem dear,
The Maple Leaf forever!
God save our Queen and Heaven bless
The Maple Leaf forever!

At Queenston Heights and Lundy's Lane,
Our brave fathers, side by side,
For freedom, homes and loved ones dear,
Firmly stood and nobly died;
And those dear rights which they maintained,
We swear to yield them never!
Our watchword evermore shall be
"The Maple Leaf forever!"



Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound;
May peace forever be our lot,
And plenteous store abound:
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green o'er freedom's home
The Maple Leaf forever!

[dannubis]

I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

[Felch]

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 zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.

[Blaupanzer]

At least in America, the 11th is about living veterans as much or more than dead ones. For all, it was originally to mark the armistice that ended fighting in the "war to end all wars." Sadly we know better now how that turns. Nonetheless thanks all of you for your notice today.

[Asher]

At least in America, the 11th is about living veterans as much or more than dead ones.

This never made any sense to me.

11/11 is a historically significant day, of which the living survivors are becoming more and more rare. 11/11 should be used to primarily remember the fallen, while Veterans Day can fall on an arbitrary date like Memorial Day.

[Blaupanzer]

Asher, seems it is working the other way. The end of WW I was not nearly a traumatic for us as for the others that agreed to have a holiday in perpetuity to celebrate the end of the fighting. We have drifted to Veteran's Day (since '94, I think) as the official name of our holiday. Memorial day supposedly honors all dead, but again it is for the vets that we make a big fuss.

[SlowwHand]

This never made any sense to me.

11/11 is a historically significant day, of which the living survivors are becoming more and more rare. 11/11 should be used to primarily remember the fallen, while Veterans Day can fall on an arbitrary date like Memorial Day.

MEMORIAL Day. Asher, think! You don't have a memorial for the living.