GreekChat.com Forums - Veteran's Day

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I just wanted to wish a Happy Veteran's Day to all the veterans in GC land; while we should always remember the sacrifices of all those who have served our country, it's not a bad idea to give extra thought today.

Thank you to all of those who keep our country (and the rest of the world) safe.

Collin
- proud son of a Vietnam veteran and grandson of two WWII veterans.

A heartfelt thank-you to all the veterans, and I hope that your Veteran's Day/Rememberance Day services went well..

Up here in Canada this was the Year of the Veteran so services were particularlly large and well attended; with many having more people observing the ceremonies that since the 60s.

The University of Toronto's ceremony at Soldiers Tower had the largest attendance in years, with strong contingents of visitors from overseas to say thank-you... all in all very moving (and very hectic organizationally).

So as I've done before I'd thought I'd post two of the standard poems use in Canadian ceremonies - poems that I find particularly poignant and powerful:

Quote:

In Flanders Fields

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.

Lt. Col John McRae (1872-1918) Zeta Psi UofT Chapter

* This line was above the players dressing benches in the Montreal Canadien's dressing room in the old Forum - and is also the offical motto of the team.

Quote:

For the Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.*

They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon - (1869 - 1943)

* This part of the poem is known as "the Ode" or "Ode to Comarades Fallen/Gone" and is usually read in most services as it applies to all the war dead.

Re:

The Only WW I Memorial in The World is Kansas City, Mo. It is very Impressive for the Men Who Died then and now.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Re:

The Only WW I Memorial in The World is Kansas City, Mo. It is very Impressive for the Men Who Died then and now.

The only memorial in the world? okaaaaaay....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...oort_nacht.jpg
Menin Gate Memorial - commemorating the 54,869 British soldiers burried in unkown graves (the Tyne Cot Memorial lists another 35000 or so)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...81/Vimy999.jpg
Vimy Ridge Memorial - commemortating both the battle of Vimy Ridge and the 66000 Canadians who lost there lives in the Great War.

Personally I find in one of the more moving memorials because of the context that the surrounding terrain places the memorial in - and because of the beautiful sculptures adorning the memorial:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-vimyridge.jpg
This is the image of Canada the Mother mourning her loss.

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Re:

The Only WW I Memorial in The World is Kansas City, Mo. It is very Impressive for the Men Who Died then and now.

As evidenced in previous posts, Tom... I don't think so. Maybe the only memorial specifically dedicated to WWI vets, but there's also the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Memorial Amphitheatre at Arlington Cemetery - the the big tomb is for the WWI Unknown Soldier; WWII and Korea are planted on the ground in front of the monument and the Vietnam unknown's grave is empty, since the guy was eventually ID'd.

<-- Cold War veteran.