Veterans Day
We don’t usually post on the weekend, as you know. But today is Veteran’s Day and we have a poem and found a story we wanted to share.As you may already know, today marks the 100th anniversary of the end of The Great War…World War I. Celebrations have been planned in places all over the world to commemorate the occasion and honor the memory of those men and women who served so well, their country and made their families proud. The poem that follows here, In Flanders Field is no doubt one of the most noted and quoted of any literary work about war. It was written in 1915 by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. Having just buried his friend he took pen and paper in hand and from the unique point of view of the dead, wrote this classic. Many of you no doubt have heard it often or may even know it by heart. The poppy became the symbol of remembrance of those who had died in service during the war as a result of this poem. You can read about the significance of it here. Our dear chum Gloria, requested that we share this poem today. It is a most touching perspective and deserves to be read again, especially today on this 100th anniversary of the end of the war.
In Flanders Field
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.
While the story that follows is not about a WWI veteran, it is, none the less, meant to honor all veterans who have served no matter when or where or in which branch of service.
Honoring a Soldier
I had just boarded my Delta flight to New York from LA. Before I sat down in my assigned seat I put my carry-on in the overhead compartment. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a Kindle to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought to my self.
Just before they closed the doors for take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me on all sides. I decided to start a conversation. ‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.
‘Great Lakes Air Base in Illinois. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Iraq.’
After flying for about fourty five minutes, a flight attendant made an announcement that snack lunches were available for seven dollars. It would be several hours before we arrived in New York, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.
As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his friend if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a snack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth seven bucks. I’ll wait till we get to New York.’ His friend agreed.
So then I looked around at the other soldiers. None of them were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant my credit card. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers please.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’
Picking up ten snack lunches, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’ ‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked.
She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’
Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty dollars in my palm.
When we landed in New York I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them money people had given me . ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’
These ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.
It seemed so little…
“A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America ‘ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’ That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.”
Today is a day to remember all who have served, the living and the dead. Honor the veterans you know today, by thanking them for their service. We owe them a debt we can never fully repay.
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