Veterans Day and Rememberance Day

[captjacksparrowsavvvy]

Please remember our service men and women this weekend. Veteran's Day in the Us and Rememberance Day in Canada, UK, Austrailia Armistice Day in France...many other countries remember their veterans this weekend as well.

Visit a Vet hospital. Send a Veteran a card or note...Do not be shy and walk up to a vet(you'll know that they are a veteran, they wear it proudly)...say "Thank you"

Our veterans including our soldiers from Iraq NEED encouragement and support. Their families need the same. Please please please take the time this weekend and honor our veterans.

God Bless you Chuck,Joel, Jeff,Patti,Jim,Jim, Nick,John,Patrick,Vinnie...miss you dad, Ed,Uncle Tony and Jamie...we'll have a brew together Jim, when you return home...waiting since 1971...

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

[BriarRose Kildare]

Aye, Poppies, Forget Me Nots, and Pansy's too because they are for thoughts.

Here is one of my favorite Poems that I now dedicate to all those brave men and women who have ever fought for a cause no matter where they were or for what ever country they were from.

In Flanders Fields

by 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.

Blessings to those who still live and Blessings to those who are in the Summerland.

As a side note the inspiration for this poem:

On 2 May, 1915, in the second week of fighting during the Second Battle of Ypres Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed by a German artillery shell. He was a friend of the Canadian military doctor Major John McCrae. It is believed that John began the draft for his famous poem 'In Flanders Fields' that evening.

[Perkeo]

Why Wear a Poppy

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said,

And held one forth, but I shook my head.

Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,

And her face was old and lined with care;

But beneath the scars the years had made

There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,

Bouncing along on care-free feet.

His smile was full of joy and fun,

"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"

When she'd pinned it on, he turned to say;

"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way

And answered; "This is Remembrance Day.

And the poppy there is a symbol for

The gallant men who died in war.

And because they did, you and I are free -

That's why we wear a poppy, you see.

I had a boy about your size,

With golden hair and big blue eyes.

He loved to play and jump and shout,

Free as a bird, he would race about.

As the years went by, he learned and grew,

And became a man - as you will, too.

He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,

But he'd seemed with us such a little while

When war broke out and he went away.

I still remember his face that day.

When he smiled at me and said, 'Goodbye,

I'll be back soon, Mum, please don't cry.'

But the war went on and he had to stay,

And all I could do was wait and pray.

His letters told of the awful fight

(I can see it still in my dreams at night),

With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,

And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

Till at last, at last, the war was won -

And that's why we wear a poppy, son."

The small boy turned as if to go,

Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.

That sure did sound like an awful fight

But your son - did he come back all right?"

A tear rolled down each faded cheek;

She shook her head, but didn't speak

I slunk away in a sort of shame,

And if you were me, you'd have done the same:

For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,

Though our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so, when we see a poppy worn,

Let us reflect on the burden borne

By those who gave their very all

When asked to answer their country's call

That we at home in peace might live.

Then wear a poppy! Remember - and Give!

Don Crawford