In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, May 1915
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.
Robert Bain
Royal Army
Killed In Action, Western Front, 1918
He was my grandmother's
favorite uncle. My Dad was
named for him.
LCpl Kurt E. Dechen
United States Marine Corps
Killed In Action, Iraq, 2006
His mother and my mother sing
in the church choir together
CAPT Carroll LeFon
United States Navy (Retired)
Killed in the line of duty, NAS Fallon, NV, 2012
Lex. He was a friend.
Officer Sean Collier
MIT Police
Killed in the line of duty, Boston, MA 2013
He was the friend of a very dear friend.
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there... I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow...
I am the diamond glints on snow...
I am the sunlight on ripened grain...
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you waken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of gentle birds in circling flight...
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry—
I am not there... I did not die...
From here.
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.
From "For the Fallen"
By Laurence Binyon
By Laurence Binyon
Spare a moment today to remember them. Pray for our country, let not their sacrifice have been in vain.
Very nice, Chris. Ya done good.
ReplyDeleteYou've prolly seen it, but if not... there's a great back story about the "eagle on the grave stone" photo.
I have seen that back story. But I'll read it every time. Good story.
DeleteThanks Buck.
Perhaps I missed you writing about it before (and if so, my extreme bad) but I didn't know you knew someone connected with Officer Collier. Prayers said for all families, of course. God bless.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about missing that Jim. It's still very recent and you guys were there in the thick of it. Officer Collier was the very good friend of one of my very close friends. She was pretty shaken when Sean was killed.
DeleteIt's been over a month but those events are still very fresh in the hearts of all New Englanders as I'm sure you'd agree.