Memorial Day Thanks

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In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

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 field.

Written in 1915 by Canadian Medical officer John McCrae, commemorating the bloody battles there during World War One, this poem created quite a stir, ending up as McCrae's most memorable contribution to literature.

94 Years later, as we celebrate a day with our families, peacefully, while young men and women protect us in foreign places, we owe it to them , and to ourselves, to take a minute to remember the debt we to those who endure hardship so that we may enjoy this day.