Monday, May 30, 2011

In Flanders Field and We Shall Keep the Faith



In Flanders Fields by Lieut.-Col. John McCrae

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 Shall Keep the Faith by Moina Michael

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields were valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

Memorial Day & Freedom

Today, more than usual, I have been reflecting on the sacrifice that those in the military make on behalf of our freedom. I am truly thankful that so many have been willing to serve. Some have paid the ultimate price in giving their lives for our freedom. I hope that we will not let our freedom slip away and thus cause their sacrifices be in vain.

Those in the military swear to serve and defend our constitution but how many of us even know what that precious document says? Are we doing our part to protect it? These are questions I have been asking myself in recent months. The more I learn about this document, the more concerned I grow for our country. Please, please, make yourself aware of what is contained in the constitution before we lose the freedoms that our founding fathers and our precious brothers and sisters in the military sacrificed so much for.

In our family we have had many that have served our country and I wanted to take this time to honor a few of them.
My Great Uncle, Jerald Smith.
My husbands great uncle, Daniel Fuhrer, served and gave his life during WWII.

My Grandfather, Clarence Raymond Smith - Served just prior to WWII.
My Grandfather, Everett Bowen, served during WWII in the South Pacific.
My father in-law, Henry Jacob Liebelt, served during the Korean Conflict.




Our Son, Jake, currently serving in the US Navy.