Tomorrow is Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day when it began in 1868. It is a national holiday to honor all Americans who have died in military service.
All across this wonderful country, every memorial day a ritual is carried out thru the day. At dawn, the flag of the United States of America is briskly raised to the top of the staff then solemnly lowered to half staff to honor the over one million men and women who have given thier lives in service of our country. Then at noon, it is raised to full staff, raising the memory of those spirits of the honored dead by the living; who resolve not to let thier sacrifice be in vain, but to rise up in thier stead and continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.
The poppy has long been a symbol for the remembrance for honored war dead. It comes from a poem written in the midst of the first "War to End All Wars".
"In Flanders Fields" is a war poem written by Canadian physician Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier who died in the Second Battle of Ypres.
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.
