A veterans day post

[Old Ducker]

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.

By Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Comment: My grandfather was a WW1 vet, considered the entire affair a waste and referred to young men as "cannon fodder." Another relative was a volunteer pilot for the french airforce, the American Escadrille. He felt the same way.

As do I.

[Oyate]

We spin about in man's domain
on clotted scabs we make our way
staring through an empty bottle

With no more humour in this vessel
and in the midst
of ourselves

And the Mother intervening.

-------------------------------------------------

On this day. On this day we honor our warriors past and present.

[Liberty Star]

Can a moving veteran news story be posted in this thread, lil off topic:


Army ID prompts muggers to thank victim, return items

But when they learned he was a soldier, he told the Associated Press that one of the robbers actually thanked him for his service and apologized, and the group leader gave him a fist bump as they parted ways.


http://www.newrichmond-news.com/event/article/id/36558/publisher_ID/9/

[Dieseler]

The Chosen One
Hey Papa, wanna thank you so
For who you is and what you be and all that ya do
You, yeah, you, you always taught me right from wrong
I ain't got much, but Papa I done wrote you this song

All the pain and suffering I watched you ignore
From a poor boy, through the ruins of war
When my life is over and I done found my home
Just remember... son you're not alone

A hard road is what it's gonna be
When I think of all you been and done
So glad I got to know ya Papa
So glad I was the chosen one
So glad I was the chosen one

You, yeah, you, always seemed to find some time
Beyond my dying day, you'll always be a friend of mine
And you, yeah you left some big shoes to fill
I'll do my best to make ya proud
I promise that I will
All the pain and suffering I watched you ignore
From a poor boy, through the ruins of war
When my life is over and I done found my home
Just remember... son you're not alone

A hard road is what it's gonna be
When I think of all you been and done
So glad I got to know ya Papa
So glad I was the chosen one
So glad I was the chosen one

I Love ya Papa.

Zakk Wylde

[tonesforjonesbones]

I always cry when I read that Flanders Field poem. When I was in the Army band stationed in San Francisco, we would do a beautiful ceremony every VEterans Day in a large cathedral downtown. There would be a huge bag pipe band that marched in, and we played some wonderful music with their pipe organist..that thing was huge. They would always read Flanders Field while dropping poppy petals from the church rafters...and two buglers played echo taps. It was really moving. TOnes