Comments on: In Flanders Fields

By: Tony Tobias

Tony Tobias — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:11:23 +0000

There is a wonderful song adaptation of In Flanders Fields along with a stirring dance interpretation on YouTube. It appears to be one of the top viewed videos over a 2 week period. Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky2WKqmrnnI

Tony

Thanks for the link, Tony. The video really is moving.

Best–

MRE

By: Sarah Van

Sarah Van — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 05:12:14 +0000

Thanks for posting In Flanders Fields, Dr Mike.

I served in the Navy back in the early 1980’s and have fond memories of “Remembrance Day”. It’s more like our Memorial Day but it doesn’t revolve around a few token ceremonies and sales at the mall. The local chapter of the Royal British Legion Scotland would host a dinner for the “Yanks” and there were solemn ceremonies and parades. Red poppies everywhere! Sometimes I fear we Americans spend so much time looking forward, we forget our past.

Indeed we do. And it’s a sad thing.

Thanks for writing.

MRE

By: Wil B.

Wil B. — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:57:04 +0000

Thanks for this post Dr. Mike. I served in the military during the Vietnam “era” but lucky for me not in Vietnam per se. So I think those of us who have experienced military service (and the families of those who have), appreciate the sacrifices of others who have served, especially during war time; and I think much more so than those who have never served. In today’s world, and in my profession, it seems as if almost no one in my work place below say the age of 45 has ever been in the military (it’s just not part of a sensible and presumably lucrative career plan I suppose) and accordingly they don’t have the same level of respect or even compassion for those who have served or are serving. Quite a shame, really, and although I’m not really in favor of bringing the draft back I think maybe this does suggest that our country should consider some kind of mandatory service requirement for all able-bodied citizens for a year or two, not necessarily military.

But on another topic, how the heck do we link to Amazon.com from your website? We want to order some stuff, but can’t figure out how to link or click through from yours to Amazon so you can get a few pennies of credit. You’re doing a lot for us – we’d like to reciprocate.

Best,

Wil

Hi Wil–

I agree with your sentiments about those who have served.

You can order by clicking on one of the book icons on the right side of the blog. Any one of them will take you to Amazon, then any order you make will end up providing a few cents that go toward maintaining the blog. Thanks very much in advance.

Best–

MRE

By: Ressy

Ressy — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:02:27 +0000

Thank you for the lovely post Doc….

Ressy
Proud Army Mom to Ben

By: MordWa

MordWa — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:58:49 +0000

For the fallen –

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, 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…

“Lest we forget…”

________________________
(from Laurence Binyon’s “Ode of Remembrance”; to this day Returned Servicemen’s clubs in Australia will dim the lights and recite this at 9pm – sharp – every night)

By: Dorothy VanBinsbergen

Dorothy VanBinsbergen — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:32:38 +0000

Thanks, Dr. Mike, for posting the beautiful poem. My husband sings a wonderful song along the same lines, and I’m going to try to post a link here.

http://www.liamclancy.com/tabs/willie.htm

We all need at least one Yom Kippur type day a year, and this one is as good as any.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:27:27 +0000

Thank you. I am a Veteran that received US Citizenship while serving in uniform for my new country. My Father fought for the British during WWII, as did many of his fellow Rhodesians.

In WWII, some 6650 white and 1730 black Rhodesians served outside Rhodesia in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy and Burma. A total of nearly 11000 white and mixed race personnel of whom 1500 were women, actually went into uniform, as did 15000 black Rhodesian troops.

Rhodesia supplied more troops per head of population to the allied war effort than any other country in the empire. One in ten of the 8500 Rhodesians of all races who served overseas were killed or died on active service.

If Rhodesia were alive today, you can bet we would be fighting right alongside American soldiers and Marines.

It was in the mud of the Somme and Flanders and on the barbed wire and machine guns of the German lines that Rhodesia’s sunshine settlers, in company with the whole European race, finally lost their innocence in WWI.

Over 6000 white Rhodesians ‘played the game’ and went to war in Europe, East Africa and South West Africa. This represented two-thirds of all European men between the ages of 15 and 44, and a quarter of the total white population of the country. Some 2800 men of African and mixed race, most of them in the Rhodesia Native Regiment, also went to war. 900 were killed.

Thank you for your post, Dr. Mike, and thanks to the others for bringing to attention the efforts and sacrifice of Australia – an American ally in EVERY war since WWI. Hard men from a hard country.

God Bless our countries, and the parents that produce these young men and women that decide to give themselves to service. Because it is a privilege to serve your country, not a right.

Please watch this, and share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg

Gladly.

Thanks for sending.

MRE

By: John

John — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 03:39:18 +0000

In 1982 I toured Edinburgh Castle and the guide was a veteran of WW 1. He was elderly, yet the War was utterly fresh to him. Many of his friends had not survived.

With real sadness, he shared that Scotland was never the same after the war, as so many of their young men were slaughtered. Many Scottish women would never marry or conceive, and society became older and less vibrant vis-a-vis the rest of the Empire. (Especially compared to England, which suffered notably lower casualties by percentage. Found this on the web:)

World War 1 – 27% of the Scots that fought were killed as opposed to the 12% total for the UK as a whole. 110,000 Scots dead in WWI, 15% of the total British war dead, higher in proportionate terms than for any other country in the Empire. And, of course, of those dead, 13 out of 14 were privates and NCOs from the working class: not enough is done to remind people today of the 1930s definition of a bayonet as ‘a weapon with a worker at each end.’

By: Connie

Connie — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:32:09 +0000

Bring back the poppies!

Canada, who does it excellently:

http://198.103.134.2/remembers/sub.cfm?source=teach_resources/poppy

In the US, poppies have migrated to Memorial Day:

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.levelc&cid=127

Hi Connie–

Thanks for the links. I didn’t know any of this stuff.

Best–

MRE

By: UofT Chem

UofT Chem — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:33:13 +0000

I think every school child in Canada knows this poem by heart. especially true in my hometown where John Mccrae was from. i often go past his old house when i go jogging. very cool that you’ve picked him to honour for remembrance day.

Hi UofT Chem–

I loved his poem since the first time I read it. I’m glad I thought to put it up today.

Best–

MRE