When I was in seventh grade, Mrs. Benson was my English teacher. Being a dramatic teacher, she wanted us to become confident speakers, so she often assigned theatrical projects to us. For Memorial Day that year, we recited a poem in front of the whole school at a school assembly. I, of course, loved it. She was my kind of teacher.
The poem we recited, under her flamboyant direction, was In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. Legend has it that Canadian physician, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem during the first world war on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of a friend and fellow soldier. The poem was later published, and inspired the use of remembrance poppies as a memorial symbol for soldiers who died in conflict.
The poem, In Flanders Fields, goes like this:
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
Scare 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.
Wikipedia tells us that Memorial Day is a United States Federal Holiday that is observed on the last Monday in May. Memorial Day was formerly known as Decoration Day, because people decorated soldiers’ graves with flowers and flags on that day. Today it is also marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies.
This holiday commemorates US men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action.
Informally, Memorial Day is the start of summer, people traditionally have picnics, and the drivers will see the green flag today at 12:45 for the Indy 500.
But today is a day of honor and thanksgiving. I don’t normally do this, but today, I am going to. If you are have served or are currently serving in the armed services, would you please stand up, if you feel comfortable doing so? We want to thank you for your service.
We thank you for your courage, and your protection.
Today, we pay tribute to and remember the lives that have been lost in defense of our nation.
On June 6, 1944, the first wave of Allied forces swarmed the beaches of German-occupied Normandy, and the invasion known as D-Day began. On that day, more than 4,400 Allied troops were killed, including more than 2.500 Americans.
This event, unprecedented in scale, shifted the course of WW2 and history itself. As we prepare to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the operation, let us remember the remaining survivors of this battle and war, some of whom were teenagers at the time, are all now approaching or have surpassed 100 years.
Their bravery and heroism displayed on the beaches of Normandy is the stuff of legend. Their selfless desire to serve and willingness to sacrifice their lives to defend our nation is remarkable. In the words of Barack Obama, “Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.” — Barack Obama
On this Memorial Day, tomorrow, we honor all service members who have lost their lives, but this year, let’s keep our WW2 veterans in our hearts and minds. As their numbers dwindle it is important to capture and tell their stories and ensure that their memories live on.
There are several ways we can honor those service members who have died. We can visit a gravesite, or place flags, wreaths or other mementos at memorials in our communities.
We can join in the national moment of silence at 3:00 pm tomorrow. We can thank soldiers past and present for their service. Maybe you don’t know a veteran or you would like to send a letter or care package to a soldier currently deployed. If so, you can reach out to OperationGratitude.com
Memorial Day is the time to remember and share the stories of our family members and friends who served and protected us. By sharing their stories, we give others a glimpse of military service and hope that they carry that legacy with them to create a better world and stronger nation.
A nurse walked into a hospital room accompanied by a tired, anxious soldier. They quietly walked to the side of the older man lying in the bed.
“Your son is here,” the nurse said to the patient. Heavily sedated, the man in the bed struggles to open his eyes. When he did, he dimly saw the young uniformed hand soldier standing next to him. He reached out his hand. The soldier wrapped his toughened fingers around the older man’s fingers, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the young soldier could sit beside the bed. All through the night, the soldier sat there in the poorly lit ward, holding the older man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the soldier move away and rest awhile, but he refused. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Shortly before dawn, the man died. The soldier released the lifeless hand he had been holding all night and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned and started to offer words of sympathy, but the soldier softly interrupted her.
“Who was that man?” He asked.
The startled nurse replied — “He was your father.”
“No,” replied the soldier. “I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
“Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?” Asked the nurse
The soldier replied, “I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.”
Duty, loyalty, courage — these are just a few of the American values our current soldiers, and our fallen heroes lived by and died for. As a nation, we must remind ourselves of these values and do our best to try to live up to them ourselves.
I know that our nation is terribly divided right now. I know that there are many mixed feelings about our government. But this is our nation. It’s our nation. Our government. That people have lost their lives fighting for and protecting. You and I have freedoms today, because others served our nation. Our nation — with all of its flaws — is still a nation worth saving.
To all those who have fallen……today we humbly say: Thank you for your service. Amen.
If there is a verse in the Bible that all of our fallen heroes could all claim as a description of their lives, I would suggest that it is these words found in II Timothy 4:7-8:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
May we find honor and inspiration in those words, as well as the lives lived and lost.
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