Veterans Day Celebration



Many Americans mistakenly believe that Veterans Day is the day America sets aside to honor American military personnel who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained from combat. That's not quite true. Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor America's war dead.

Veterans Day, on the other hand, honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for dedicated and loyal service to their country. November 11 of each year is the day that we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in the lives to keep our country free. 

A full history of Veterans Day can be found here.

I would like to present four videos for this Veterans Day.  The first is a Remembrance Day (the Canadian Veterans Day) video sung by Terry Kelly.



The next video is a narration of the poem, "In Flanders Fields"  written by: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) of the Canadian Army.  After a young friend and former student, Lieut. Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, had been killed by a shell burst on 2 May 1915, LTC McCrae composed the poem.

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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. 

We are not finished.  This is Veterans Day which focuses on the living.  I spent a little over 20 years in the Army, so I have to go with this video which impressed me the first time I saw it.  Besides, it replaced the silly assed Army of One campaign.


And because I always enjoyed the times I spent training, partying, and the couple times I hit the woods with the Marines:

 

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