Remembrance for the dead of the Great War. On the eleventh month, in the eleventh day, at the eleventh hour.

I know I do this every year but woefully so many people have very little knowledge of the First World War as opposed to the Second, as I suspect it lacks Nazi's and Churchill's. And yet there's not a cenotaph in the whole of England (several in my town alone) with at least as many names of those lost from 1914-18 as from 1939-45.

"Lest we forget, lest we forget."

As always appropriate:


In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army


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.

As always appropriate:


In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army


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.




It is very appropriate for tomorrow, but today we shall celebrate the birth of the United States Marine Corps!

Celebrated with some quotes from the Marines Marine, Gen Lewis B Puller


"They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an
enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can't get away from us now!"


When the Marines were cut off behind enemy lines and the Army had written
the 1st Marine Division off as being lost because they were surrounded by 22
enemy divisions. The Marines made it out inflicting the highest casualty
ratio on an enemy in history and destroying 7 entire enemy divisions in the
process. An enemy division is 16500+ men while a Marine division is 12500 men.

-----------------------

"They are a damn site better than the U.S. Army, at least we know that they
will be there in the morning."

when a journalist asked him about being surrounded by 22. enemy divisions

-----------------------

"The mail service has been excellent out here, and in my opinion this is all that the
Air Force has accomplished during the war."

As we can see, it is not only politics that breeds a divisive mind-set.

And thanks for mentioning the first Great War, Halo; we do tend to forget that which is so far removed, especially when we have so many veterans who have taken on that badge of honor in just the past few years.

/salute to all the vets, here and there and everywhere!

And to our friends and acquaintances presently serving, keep your head down and your ass covered, and be safe.

My great-grandfather's airplane was shot down in WW1, he was fighting for the bad guys :( He flew with the Red Baron.

Thanks for the reminder Halo. We'll take time tomorrow to pause and reflect.

As we can see, it is not only politics that breeds a divisive mind-set.

And thanks for mentioning the first Great War, Halo; we do tend to forget that which is so far removed, especially when we have so many veterans who have taken on that badge of honor in just the past few years.

/salute to all the vets, here and there and everywhere!

And to our friends and acquaintances presently serving, keep your head down and your ass covered, and be safe.


I shall echo your sentiments on the Great War and all of the vets come 12:00AM on Nov 11th, until then I shall honor the birth of my beloved corps!

As we can see, it is not only politics that breeds a divisive mind-set.

Nothing for you to be divisive about Byl, we get our own day and you all get to share the next one with us! :devil

All kidding aside...Know that you have asked what you can do for your country and you then did. Oooohh Raaaah!

Thanks chaps.
And in that spirit, I'll give a slightly edited version (for it is somewhat long) of Kipling's "The King's Pilgrimage", based on George V's visit to the French war cemeteries in 1922.

Our King went forth on pilgrimage
His prayers and vows to pay
To them that saved our heritage
And cast their own away.

And there was little show of pride,
Or prows of belted steel,
For the clean-swept oceans every side
Lay free to every keel.

All that they had they gave - they gave; and they shall not return,
For these are those that have no grave where any heart may mourn.

And there was neither blade of grass,
Nor lone star in the sky,
But shook to see some spirit pass
And took its agony.

And there was neither paved highway,
Nor secret path in the wood,
But had borne its weight of the broken clay
And darkened 'neath the blood.

Father and mother they put aside, and the nearer love also -
An hundred thousand men that died whose graves shall no man know.

And there was grass and the living trees,
And the flowers of the spring,
And there lay gentlemen from out of all the seas
That ever called him King.

'Twixt Nieuport sands and the eastward lands where the Four Red Rivers spring,
Five hundred thousand gentlemen of those that served their King.

All that they had they gave - they gave -
In sure and single faith.
There can no knowledge reach the grave
To make them grudge their death
Save only if they understood
That, after all was done,
We they redeemed denied their blood
And mocked the gains it won.

This poem has special significance if we understand Kipling's context. If you dabble a bit in poetry you'll realise it's actually quite a bitter piece. Kipling had been for many years the Poet Laureate of Britain and especially the Empire. From roughly the 1890s until 1914 his poems often potray war, heroism and its romance, glorifying British feats and history. He was a real patriot, spurring British expansion and power. When war broke out in 1914 he sent his only son to the front line and lectured him in letter after letter how he must win his spurs and fight for King and country.
His son, however, died on the Somme in 1917 and that hit Kipling pretty hard. Indeed as the war dragged on he became disillusioned, angry, and depressed. But with victory in 1918 everyone looked to Kipling to continue his patriotic poems and gloria of Empire - and in a rather tragic twist he felt compelled to continue, but he could never shake the haunting memory of his son's death and his growing sense of emptiness in war and Empire.

Cheers anywho.

All that they had they gave - they gave -
In sure and single faith.
There can no knowledge reach the grave
To make them grudge their death
Save only if they understood
That, after all was done,
We they redeemed denied their blood
And mocked the gains it won.




Damn, I wish I had read this back in the Viet Nam era. I would have painted these words on the side of the house for all to see.

Thanks, Halo.

My brother still has a rifle our grandfather gave him from WW1 it's a .303; I fired it once in my teens and had a bruise for weeks on my shoulder.

My grandfather died before I was born so I didn't get to hear any of his stories but I had 2 uncles in WW2, one in the Normandy invasion, the other at Pearl Harbor. My uncle who was in Normandy actually got injured and was shipped to a London hospital where he met a young British lady and they had a romantic affair. He was eventually sent home and met my aunt and married her. In 1980 the product of that romantic affair showed up in the hills of NC looking for his father. They've been part of the family every since even after my uncle died 5yrs ago. I wish I could have heard more about WW1 though, it seems so little is known or remembered. As Byl says the more time that passes the further removed we are from it.

Great story Fil.

My 2 great uncles were in WW1, one of which died, the other was gassed in his trench in 1918 and spent the next three years in a hospital. My nan says he was never the same and was considered to be, by and large, a bit crazy from then on.

I think most people have elderly relations who served in WW2, it seeming far more common. My grandfather (Thomas Coward, a relation to Noel Coward, the playwrite) fought as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, and being someone of means served as an officer in WW2. He was deployed in Northern France from 1939 serving in the Royal Engineers. He was, of course, swept up in the retreat to Dunkirk when the Germans broke through Belgium and was part of the operation covering the eastern approaches. We have a letter my nan left us in a pile of her papers after her death several years ago that never fails to bring a tear. It is dated the end of May and he tells my nan that he is doing fine, cannot wait to see her and that they'll have a happy life when "it's all over". On the back a brother-officer scribbles a note also saying that Tommy's always talking about her and is utterly devoted to her.
The following week he died on the dunes of Dunkirk, one of many who sacrificed themselves to hold the German divisions back to allow 300,000 Brits and French to escape to England in fishing boats.

My adopted Grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, the day the Japanese attacked. He was on the Arizona when it was hit, and was in the water with burns over 60% of his body, for 24 hrs.

He recovered, and rose to the rank of Sr Petty Officer in the Navy, and retired after 20 years of service.

He passed away 6 years ago. A lot of history passed away with him.

I was walking out of the PX yesterday and they had a table set up with Poppies and they were taking donations for one of the local Veteran's funds for disabled veterans.

I don't know why, but it hit me like a sack of bricks, but a good number of my friends and many of my patients for that matter are part of that honored group.

Our war has obviously been a bit more recent than that of my Grandfathers, or my Father. Though for that matter he is just as much involved in these latest ones as I am. I just hope at some point my son can look back through my belongings and wonder what stories I never told him, and that he never has to know what it's like for himself.

But to all those who served, or support(ed) those who serve thank you from another Veteran.

I don't know why, but it hit me like a sack of bricks, but a good number of my friends and many of my patients for that matter are part of that honored group.

Medics such as you are tasked with most difficult of jobs. to snatch life from an endeavor whos basic premise is death. to you Elmak a special thank you.

I had an uncle who served as a gunner on the Bunker hill in the pacific theater. he's visible in a spectacular photo of the after math of a Kamikaze attack that struck the keel.

My father was a Navy Corpsman for 20 years. served in both Korea and vietnam. one of my most special memories was getting to tour the last vessel he served on when it was part of the seafair fleet one year.

Halo that is really cool :)
My grandmother had this really old chest that she kept stuff like that in. I can remember some days she would sit and go thru all the pictures and letters and such. When she died in 2002 my aunts and uncles all divyed (s?) up the contents. I can remember seeing really old photos of trenches and my uncles in uniform. I love that stuff and wish I would have been able to claim some of it.

My mom recently (well almost 10 yrs ago now) helped one of my uncles prove to the Army that he was stationed where atomic testing was occuring. All of his records were burned by that huge fire many years ago. In that chest of my grandmothers were letters, postcards, and photos proving he was there. This was so he could get VA benefits b/c he "had" cancer (he died last Easter). With those documents the VA accepted them as proof of service and granted him full benefits.

I only just thought of this now but in this day and age will our memories that we have electronically still be viewable in the future and will we get the same sentiment from viewing a picture on a screen instead of holding it in our hands? I sit and fondly remember my granny sifting thru that chest and enjoying her memories and recounting stories of her life to us grandkids or anyone who would listen to an old lady ramble. I'm not sure I can picture me doing the same thing with a CD or a USB drive. There is something to be said about holding something physicaly in your hands and inspecting the writing and realizing that it was physically with your loved one. /sniffle

Today as always I went to the Ceremony at Ft Sam National Cemetery, and saw something that was really moving. They did an immigration and naturalization ceremony for soldiers that were serving in the US Armed forces but were not citizens. I then had the honor of presenting a wreath with my father with many other's from various veteran organizations as the bag piper played amazing grace and we circled the flags. Even though I never have served the 21 gun salute and the playing of taps by the bugler always makes me sad knowing that one day that will be played for my dad. We then went to the Audie Murphy VA hospital and went to the terminally ill ward where Vets that go to the VA go to die, and passed out American flags made by Dixie Flag. I am the Commander of my DAVA unit, and instead of ordering flags from some company that gets them from China, I made it a rule in our standing rules that we only buy American flags made in America. I did not feel right in the past giving an American Flag to a terminal vet that said made in China. I thank all those that are serving now, those that have served, and those that have family that paid the ultimate price.

On a note about family that served. My grandpa met my grandma about a week before he shipped to Africa where he served as a medic with Patton. He was in a field hospital that followed Patton into Italy. He then was transferred to another unit and was given a commission which he lost in record time for shoot an officer in the ass for not giving the password when he was working in the guard shack with security personal for a secure area. Being a medic he had to then treat said officer ..lol...

My grandpa was with the first group of soldiers that liberated the camps in Germany he was with a Time photographer and has 2 sets of all the photos that the photographer took. After the war he was a charter member of the US Air Force. He was published and had a 25 year carrier in the military. He died 3 mos before i was born almost to the day and I wish that I had got to know him. Luckily i have his notes from his medical studies and the diary he kept all his life.

Thanks for sharing that, SC - I had to work today, and was really busy on top of that (it's drop week here and my instructor evaluation was this morning) but I did go by the Student Center this morning where they had a brief recognition ceremony for the vets and a moment of silence. San Antonio being a military town, we have a really high prevalence of folks who served or are active military, perhaps someday my schedule will permit me to go out to Fort Sam...

My paternal grandfather and both uncles were career military and served in WW2/Korea and Vietnam respectively; my father and I both did short stints in the Air Force. I truly regret that both my grandfather and uncle Corky died when I was a small child and I never had the opportunity to speak to them about their service. Two of Philip's uncles served in the Pacific theatre in WW2 and sadly came back changed men by the experience, withdrawing into alcohol; PTSD was not formally recognized in those days other than occasionally being lumped under the moniker 'shell-shocked'.

To everyone who has served, in peacetime and war, thank you for your service and sacrifice; and I hope that our incoming administration, and those that will follow, will treat that sacrifice with the respect that it deserves and never cynically and callously use our troops for ego-soaked fools' errands again.

Regards,
Nydia

San Antonio being a military town, we have a really high prevalence of folks who served or are active military, perhaps someday my schedule will permit me to go out to Fort Sam...




How close to San Antonio is the Gary Job Training Center? It used to be the San Marcos AFB, but apparently has had a few name changes along with deactivation, reactivation, and deactivation.

I was born at the base hospital in 1952, which is why I am curious.

And letss not forget the veterans from all sides.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM7Ty1EEvs

about a hour drive. You would never recognize the drive now. From San Antonio to Austin used to be a long stretch of nothing till you came to San Marcos and New Braunfels, but now it is full of shops and gas stations etc.

Thanks. Plan on getting down that way maybe next year some time to look around and see if it may be my retirement destination. I would be one of the folks spending all my days along the river walk. :D

Let me know when you come, Byl; I happen to live on the northeast edge of the Riverwalk, and would be happy to show you around...

Regards,
Nydia

Thanks. I will keep that offer in mind. :)