It’s Memorial Day this week in the US, hence, and rightly so, it’s our theme for this week here on Four Foxes, One Hound as well.
Very humbly, I would like to say, that this subject has a few cultural background issues for me, and when I talked about it during dinner, my daughter asked whether she could do it for me.
So – today I’ve got a Guest Fox of a special kind: My Daughter. I’m so proud of her!
From #1 daughter, who is turning twelve in a very few weeks:
As a sign of respect, every year on the 11th of November we commemorate Remembrance Day. We remember the day World War I ended and the members of armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Services are held at 11am a war memorials at which the “Last Post” is played with a bugler as people observe a one minute silence. Children read out the significance of the day and the spirit of those who have fought for their country. We also have remembrance poppies which have been used since 1920 to commemorate soldiers who have died in war. They say that they brought out colour in such a dark horrible time or the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields. Also because their brilliant red colour was an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war. In poems written by soldiers or artists they say “Lest We Forget” which means that we will never forget those who died in war.
The poppies and that WW1 artwork are very appropriate reminders of the beautiful but somber poem, “In Flanders Field” which honors the terrible casualties in that famous battle. And for years, it signified Veteran’s Day (which evolved out of Armistice Day).
As time has gone on, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day have blended somewhat. The most important thing, of course, is for current generations to honor their nation’s veterans and war dead.
To me, the most miraculous result of WW2 (to focus on a single war) is that most of the nations which fought against each other back then … are now allies — in numerous important ways.
It’s nice to be able to look back over seven decades and say that some good came out of all that suffering and sacrifice.
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Well said, Jeff, and I agree wholeheartedly!
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And — congratulations to your Guest Fox for today!
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🙂
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Iris, obviously,writing talent runs strongly in your family! This was not only a great sentiment, but truly well done.Had it not been,I would have been kind but maybe only ‘encouraging’. I see by the way it is written that she does not need encouragement from me, as she obviously enjoys writing and is well-practiced.She has security in what she says and says it with maturity . And she has you! What a supportive mother! Well done,Iris. I wish her luck along with her talent; I foresee a great deal of writing in her future and, I hope, great success.
We also have Remembrance Day, which we call Veteran’s Day in November.(It has been changed to a “Monday holiday” that is, we celebrate it on the Monday closest to November 11).
My mother often talked about people selling poppies and so many people wearing them when walking down the street when she was young, but I never saw that.Here, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, (veteran organizations), have tables in front of shopping centers and show the work they are doing.They accept donations and hand out small, artificial poppies.
My mother, with her terrible memory, would at least start the poem; “In Flanders fields, the poppies grow….”
WWI was “The war to end all wars”; how I wish that had been true.
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The poppies are still being sold here in November and MANY walk around ‘wearing’ them in various ways.
I suppose in a way your Memorial Day might be more relevant to the Australian ANZAC day which is in April.
Thanks Tonette, yes, she’s a vivid reader and a wonderful writer. She’s kind of creating a story at the moment and if she can put her ideas into words, that story will go a loooong way.
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#1 Daughter did an excellent job. Good writers must run in the family! Here in the desert, we have one of the few memorials to the Native American men and women – specifically members of the the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Indians – who fought “For Home and Country.”
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Thanks for stopping by Karen.
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Number #1 Daughter did a wonderful job. Good writers must run in the family! Here in the desert, we have one of the few memorials for the Native American men and women, specifically for the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Indians, who served in the armed forces
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