Thank you veterans! Lest we forget.

[Osakadave]

Popping in after a long hiatus. I am surprised to see no
Veteran's/Rememberance Day thread up yet. I know there are a fair number of vets here. Thank you for your sacrifices. Please have a poppy in rememberance. (Canadians and brits, please excuse me if that wasn't quite right.)

[Lissla Lissar]

So far, I've had three poppies, and I've still got one of them. They always fall off.

In Flanders' field, 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 amidst the guns below...

[DaToad]

As a Vet, thank you Osakadave.

And I would like to add my own thanks to all those that suffered and sacrificed far more.

DT, formerly known as: Blue Max Charlie-Echo 738. (B-Btry 2/20th Aerial Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division)

[Bruce_Daddy]

auses:

[Bruce_Daddy]

Jesus, that's unfortunate.

[Mehitabel]

Coldie's annual May 5, 1945 thread has been resurrected. That's always worthwhile.

We don't have poppies here but I am wearing my post-9/11 flag pin again.

Thanks to my New England ancestors who served in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars
Thanks to my Grandpa (Army Cavalry, the last year with real horses, mid 1920s, not a vet but he served)
Thanks to my Uncle Bob (WWII)
Thanks to my Uncle Don (Korea)
Thanks to my Dad (Army artillery, between Korea and Vietnam, see Grandpa)
Thanks to my brother Don (Gulf I)
Thanks to my brother Ray (Iraqi war, on active duty with the Air Force Reserve now, thankfully stationed back in America now)

Thank you, Lord, that they all came home alive and (mostly) well.

And thanks to all the Doper vets for being there for all of us. It's because of you we get to kvetch here.

[Airman Doors, USAF]

Thanks.

And thanks to all that came before me.

[Lissla Lissar]

Remembrance day is a bit weird for me, because not only did my Mom's father serve in the RAF (making Mom a bit of an army brat, because they moved a lot etc.) but because my Dad and his family actually spent WWII stripped of their possesions in the middle of interior British Columbia.

Dad's Japanese, and born in Canada. Mom's English, and also born in Canada.

So while I honour those who served and died for my freedom, it's still mixed emotions for me, thinking about the second World War. John McRae having been dead for a long time, I assume Flanders' Fields isn't copyrighted anymore, with random punctuation...

We are the Dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset's 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 blow
In Flanders' fields.
-John McCrae

[sunstone]

Thanks to all who gave their lives, and to those who gave part of their lives. Especially to my Dad...one vet to another...thanks, Dad. You were without equal...my tears are for you.

[Bugnorton]

Thank you all, without your service and sacrifice we wouldn't even be able to have the freedom of this board (not that it's insignificant, but in the grand scheme of things...well). Ignorance would rule and we would have nowhere to go. Besides all that, I humbly thank you all for the ability to pursue happiness through life and liberty. And a special tip of the hat to VNEV's. You got such a raw deal through no fault of your own by those of us who should have been supporting your angst and feeling your pain the most.