A Thank You

I woke up this morning bright and early so I could take my sons, a Boy Scout and a Cub Scout, to our local Veteran's Cemetery. We joined a couple of hundred other scouts and their families to honor the men and women who served our country to ensure our freedom. My friend, Brian, a Vietnam War veteran, and his son, Adam, also a scout, joined us in placing American flags on the headstones of the 16,000 veterans laid to rest there.

It was an honor to pay tribute to them in a small way. This weekend and everyday I thank them for their service.

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 McRae
1872 - 1918

In Flanders Fields was written during World War I by Lt. Colonel John McRae on May 3, 1915, after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, only 22 years old, the day before.