Remembrance

[jpgr]

I had intended to start this yesterday...

For the next three days I will (read:plan to) post relevant to the time.




In Flanders Fields

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.
~~John McCrae (1872-1918)

Comments

[jpgr.livejournal.com]

It's used everywhere at this time so I thought it was a good place to start. ANd I do know of the sacrifices made by Australia due mainly to one word: Gallipoli.

[ashavah]

Heh, I realise now that comment must have sounded pretty big-notey. I wasn't trying to boast about how much we did or anything, just to say that the poem, though Canadian, resonates really strongly with us. It's a great place to start.

[jpgr.livejournal.com]

I believe it's true that there are those that do forget Australian was involved because of the country's location. They forget that it was part of the British Empire (or were they commonwealthy by then? not sure of the dates) and felt it their duty to fight.

[ashavah]

Eh, it was still very much an Empire attitude, and you see official stats from the time published as "empire", though Australia federated as a nation in 1901 - still a very young nation.

I think we may tend to get overprotective of our own military history because we're so proud of it as a nation. ;)