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.
Colonel John McCrae, the poem’s author, was a Canadian physician who died in France, as a casualty of World War I. In 1916, Doctor McCrae was serving as Chief of Medical Services at a Canadian Hospital in France, where wounded soldiers from Arras were received. His poem remains one of the most memorable war poems. It is a lasting legacy of the terrible battle in the Ypres Salient in the spring of 1915. Poppies sprout best in newly cultivated soil and, when this was written, the entire Western Front was covered with poppies blooming as never before seen on the freshly dug graves.
Dr. Sam Bierstock has rushed his song, “Before You Go”, to the Web with hopes that all the World War II veterans will hear it. Doc’s song is a thank you to WWII vets. Yes, Thank You For Your Wondrous Deeds.
![[Valid RSS]](http://members.cox.net/neddy/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
