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.
If you wrote that - first class. If you quoted it, could you provide the author’s name .. ?
Whilst I believe it is important to use a day to focus on the special people who literally gave everything, we should spare some time EVERY day to be thankful.
Today is Veterans day in the US and rememberance day here in the UK. please also remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us the living…also thanks Marge for the poem. I learnt it at school for the first rememberance day after WWII in 1945 nice to see it again….
I am horizon n Im a silent reader of gocomics as I post comments very rarely but Im a huuuuuuuge fan of Calvin n Bill Watterson. Today is my b’day n guess what I get as a b’day gift?! A whole collection of Calvin and Hobbes in a gigantic 3 volumes!!!!! Simply it just made my day :)
Marg, LoneWolf, Grog, Mike, Yukoner and everybody , your comments gives a fresh start to my day - everyday!!! And yeah thanks a lot to Bill Watterson for the creation of my best friend - Calvin and Hobbes.
In reference to Moe’s recent bullying of Calvin, history has shown, repeatedly, that equal or greater physical force is the only thing they will respect. Thus, one of the banes of the human condition and a need for warriors…
I wasn’t shot at, like many others who have served, but it is nice to see a few words of remembrance and appreciation. It helps ease the feeling of empty loneliness, that can happen at times, for both myself and many other veterans.
Happy Birthday Horizon! What a great gift!
I agree the comments section is great! My fellow readers have led me to some great ones. Yenny, Speed Bump, Last Kiss (which seems to be a collaboration between artist and audience) and more. Thanks marg and everyone else.
I was at the VA in Johnson City TN Tuesday, and realized that us ‘Nam vets are lookin’ OLD!!!!! Seems like just yesterday I was skulking along the Mekong.
Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote “In Flanders Field” on 3 May 1915. Its writing is believed to have been the spur for the wearing of Poppies in Remembrance in most of the Commonwealth countries in the period leading up to November 11 every year.
Sadly, Dr. McCrae passed away from complications of pneumonia on January 28, 1918.
Thanx for the post Marg.
For Yukoner, Laurence Binyon’s poem “For the Fallen”, was first published in The Times in September 1914.
As Calvin has argued many times, he needs to bring a tiger to school to protect him. I would do it if his parents allowed it, but it would be a big sacrifice for me to get up that early.
Moe is a reminder that there are always those in the world who would try to hurt us, and we need to always be grateful for those who make sacrifices to protect us.
Thanks, Marg. By the way, “In Flanders Fields” was first published in 1915, in the British magazine PUNCH.
Thanks for all of your kind comments yesterday. Evidently just a bit of license on SweetBill’s part……
A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to their country (be it UK, Canada, USA, Australia….) for an amount up to, and including, their life. That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact……. if you are a Veteran, know a Veteran, Love a Veteran ♥ or support our
Troops, pass this on! I hit 3 of the 4 (not a vet)
From our very beginnings our various countries have had an ethos to live up to and emulate. We frequently fail but more often we do dare to live the dream. As the Leaders of 1776 wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor”!
From Owell/Kipling: “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
To ALL OF OUR VETERANS who have put themselves in harm’s way, THANK YOU!
Thought folks might like to have a wander through a website I put up on the men, and one woman, on our local cenotaph.
http://curriememorialproject.tripod.com/cenotapth/
Sarge
Thanks Marg, for starting us off on the right foot this morning!
Left .…right … left, right, left. =^)
THANK YOU SERVICE MEMBERS AND ALL VETERANS. (yes I am shouting)
I received this in an email thought it was very good, and since it’s Veteran’s Day and Marg started off with Flanders Fields, I thought I would share this with you all. The Veterans of Foreign Wars awarded Ms. Cothren “Teacher of the Year” award.
A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges
Back in September, a couple of years ago,on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
‘Ms.. Cothren, where’re our desks?’
She replied, ‘You can’t have a desk until you tell me
how you earn the right to sit at a desk.’
They thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s our grades.’ ‘No,’ she said.
‘Maybe it’s our behavior.’ She told them, ‘No, it’s not even your behavior.’
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, ‘Throughout the day
no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily
found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.’
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of
her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.
The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall…
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in
place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..
Martha said, ‘You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks.
These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens.
They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.’
By the way, this is a true story.
Please consider passing this along so others won’t forget
that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by War Veterans.
a heartfelt thank you to all those who have written today and a more than heartfelt thank you to all that have served, and lost, for our freedoms. thanks granpa, dad, uncles and brother and cousins……..
It’s not so hard to be religious, Calvin, when you realize that, in a “perfect” would you would have been hit long ago by your own bolt of lightning–but instead you have been granted the chance to repent and change, along with the help you need to do so, just as Moe is. That is why I am religious: so that I can be the best person I can be.
Hoomi, I am in my 60s. When I was growing up, almost everyone and everything paused at 11:11 on November 11th for one minute of silence. The radio went silent, classes stopped, people in stores and on the street would stand still. That was the time the armistice for WW 1 was signed.
It’s not a practice we need to adopt as much as one we need to go back to. I imagine there are still places this is observed, but my guess is that they are most likely in the more unhurried areas of the country.
yes, thanks for all the great posts. I’m watching the ceremony at Victory Square (Vancouver) as I write this. 10:49 PST – we’ll have our minute’s silence in 11 minutes (on the hour here)
Three before me served. WWII, Korea, and ‘Nam. I didnt serve, and I wish I had. My way of saying thank you is to participate with the Patriot Guard Riders, and to greet any military OR first responder I see. Thank you needs to come everyday, not just 11-11. I love these people.
Some awesome posts from Marg, Dry and everyone. It is great to see this.
Thank you to all the veterans, past and present. Everyone of them, men and women, during peacetime or in war time, signed that “blank check” when they were sworn in! God bless you all! Brothers forever!
GreatEighthSin said,
“Hence the reason why I’m not religious at all.”
Now I know what the GreatEighthSin is! :o)
When the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory, he will overcome evil and wickedness, and establish a kingdom of peace and righteousness.
Ultimately, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein righteousness dwells.” II Peter 3:13
Red Skelton had a way of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (for the US folk) that wouldn’t be bad to hear, especially on this day of remembrance…Marg, and awesome way to begin. Hope the link works!
GreatEighthSin and Puddleglum2,
Coincidentally I came across this quote by Albert Einstein -
“The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer “.
Christmas in the Trenches
by John McCutcheon
My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.
‘Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.
I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, “Now listen up, me boys!” each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.
“He’s singing bloody well, you know!” my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was “Stille Nacht.” “Tis ‘Silent Night’,” says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky
“There’s someone coming toward us!” the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night
Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man’s Land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave ‘em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men
Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
“Whose family have I fixed within my sights?”
‘Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they’d kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore
My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I’ve learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won’t be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we’re the same
I cannot believe the number of people who do not recognize ‘In Flanders Fields’… Uneducated, uncaring, ungrateful, selfish, doltish, automatons. All Dem’s, no doubt.
Welcome back Hobbes. Yes, it would be nice if they woud let you go to school with Calvin - you would do a good job of protecting him. It would be worth the sacrifice of getting up early to teach that mean ole bully Moe a lesson.
And of all the gin joints in all the world.. - Ooops, wrog reference…
Kab Buch, like the picture… says it all.
Yes, war is just about every yucky term imaginable - but the alternatives can be MUCH worse.. the seldom - used fourth verse of the Star Spangled Banner says it…
“O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave”
And again, contemporarily; Heather Alexander - March of Cambreadth…
“…Fight to keep this land your own..
[..] How Many Of THEM Can We Make Die!”
moronbis,
“He who laughs last, laughs best.”
I hope Einstein finally made it to Heaven where he can still laugh. Otherwise, the laugh is on him, unfortunately.
“He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall hold them in derision.” Psalm 2:4
One doesn’t have to be a nonbeliever or a believer to be a bigot!
I have a grandfather who fought in the Vietnam War, an uncle who was in the armed forces, and a brother-in-law who’s serving now. All three have come home, but we still need to remember those who have not.
margueritem almost 14 years ago
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.
To our veterans, we remember…
COWBOY7 almost 14 years ago
Very nice, Marg. Thank you.
Happy Veteran’s Day!
margueritem almost 14 years ago
LX013, that was a lovely video.
COWBOY7 almost 14 years ago
Knocked the ol’ shoes right off him!
G’Morning, Marg, Grog & Mike!
moronbis almost 14 years ago
Arguably (or may be not) Watterson is the best comic-strip writer ever. The punch line is so very hilarious and apt.
Hello all!!!
Yukoner almost 14 years ago
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.
musicnut1986 almost 14 years ago
Here is a salute to those individuals who have served and fought to preserve the freedoms that we hold so dear.
SWEETBILL almost 14 years ago
Thanks Marg……………………………………
Poor Calvin, try and be a straight up person and get knocked down..
It all equals out in the end
Vista Bill Raley and Comet™ almost 14 years ago
Thanks, margueritem.
rentier almost 14 years ago
A very serious poem, Marg, it makes thoughtful! I try to make peace, so much it is possible for me!
titanicus almost 14 years ago
Hello Marg,
If you wrote that - first class. If you quoted it, could you provide the author’s name .. ?
Whilst I believe it is important to use a day to focus on the special people who literally gave everything, we should spare some time EVERY day to be thankful.
TheSoundDefense almost 14 years ago
I haven’t heard that poem in ages, Marg, since we were singing it in high school choir. Very nice :)
pouncingtiger almost 14 years ago
Thanks and Good Morning, Marg!
cheetahqueen almost 14 years ago
G’Morning, and a Blessed Veterans Day to All!
Amen, Marg! And thanks!
We must NEVER forget that freedom is not free!
The price is painfully high but is worth every drop of blood and every tear shed!
My heartfelt thanks to all Veterens and their families this day!
dugharry almost 14 years ago
Today is Veterans day in the US and rememberance day here in the UK. please also remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us the living…also thanks Marge for the poem. I learnt it at school for the first rememberance day after WWII in 1945 nice to see it again….
horizon1129 almost 14 years ago
Hi folks,
I am horizon n Im a silent reader of gocomics as I post comments very rarely but Im a huuuuuuuge fan of Calvin n Bill Watterson. Today is my b’day n guess what I get as a b’day gift?! A whole collection of Calvin and Hobbes in a gigantic 3 volumes!!!!! Simply it just made my day :)
Marg, LoneWolf, Grog, Mike, Yukoner and everybody , your comments gives a fresh start to my day - everyday!!! And yeah thanks a lot to Bill Watterson for the creation of my best friend - Calvin and Hobbes.
HorizonGreatEighthSin almost 14 years ago
Hence the reason why I’m not religious at all.
cdward almost 14 years ago
^^Happy Birthday, Horizon1129!
PaleoSapiens almost 14 years ago
In reference to Moe’s recent bullying of Calvin, history has shown, repeatedly, that equal or greater physical force is the only thing they will respect. Thus, one of the banes of the human condition and a need for warriors…
I wasn’t shot at, like many others who have served, but it is nice to see a few words of remembrance and appreciation. It helps ease the feeling of empty loneliness, that can happen at times, for both myself and many other veterans.
GROG Premium Member almost 14 years ago
And Remembrance Day in Canada as well. Thanks to all the Vets out there.
Maybe it’s time for Calvin to enroll in a self-defense class.
Good Morning, Marg, Mike & ♠Lonewolf♠
Happy Birthday, Horizon1129
hlagallah almost 14 years ago
Happy Birthday Horizon! What a great gift! I agree the comments section is great! My fellow readers have led me to some great ones. Yenny, Speed Bump, Last Kiss (which seems to be a collaboration between artist and audience) and more. Thanks marg and everyone else.
woodwork almost 14 years ago
I was at the VA in Johnson City TN Tuesday, and realized that us ‘Nam vets are lookin’ OLD!!!!! Seems like just yesterday I was skulking along the Mekong.
Wiseguy411 almost 14 years ago
Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote “In Flanders Field” on 3 May 1915. Its writing is believed to have been the spur for the wearing of Poppies in Remembrance in most of the Commonwealth countries in the period leading up to November 11 every year.
Sadly, Dr. McCrae passed away from complications of pneumonia on January 28, 1918.
Thanx for the post Marg.
For Yukoner, Laurence Binyon’s poem “For the Fallen”, was first published in The Times in September 1914.
For the rest of us and a little more recent,
“Find the cost of Freedom Buried in the ground”
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
Lest we forget
Hobbes Premium Member almost 14 years ago
As Calvin has argued many times, he needs to bring a tiger to school to protect him. I would do it if his parents allowed it, but it would be a big sacrifice for me to get up that early.
Moe is a reminder that there are always those in the world who would try to hurt us, and we need to always be grateful for those who make sacrifices to protect us.
Thanks, Marg. By the way, “In Flanders Fields” was first published in 1915, in the British magazine PUNCH.
Thanks for all of your kind comments yesterday. Evidently just a bit of license on SweetBill’s part……
Wiseguy411 almost 14 years ago
Welcome back Hobbes …
Allison Nunn Premium Member almost 14 years ago
A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to their country (be it UK, Canada, USA, Australia….) for an amount up to, and including, their life. That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact……. if you are a Veteran, know a Veteran, Love a Veteran ♥ or support our Troops, pass this on! I hit 3 of the 4 (not a vet)
ses1066 almost 14 years ago
From our very beginnings our various countries have had an ethos to live up to and emulate. We frequently fail but more often we do dare to live the dream. As the Leaders of 1776 wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor”!
From Owell/Kipling: “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
To ALL OF OUR VETERANS who have put themselves in harm’s way, THANK YOU!
GROG Premium Member almost 14 years ago
Welcome back, Hobbes!
Ursula A Kehoe Premium Member almost 14 years ago
On a bumper sticker: “If you love your freedom, thank a vet.”
rentier almost 14 years ago
GreatEightthSin: it’s a great gift to be religious!
LeslieAnne almost 14 years ago
To all our Veterans we thank you!!!!!!
tinhutjohn almost 14 years ago
Yukoner et al We will remember them.
Thought folks might like to have a wander through a website I put up on the men, and one woman, on our local cenotaph. http://curriememorialproject.tripod.com/cenotapth/ Sarge
midiranger almost 14 years ago
Thanks Marg, for starting us off on the right foot this morning! Left .…right … left, right, left. =^) THANK YOU SERVICE MEMBERS AND ALL VETERANS. (yes I am shouting)
scrabblefiend almost 14 years ago
War stinks. when will we ever learn to get along with each other?
cleokaya almost 14 years ago
Happy Veteran’s and Remembrance Day.
Happy birthday horizon and nice to see your furry face Hobbes.
Dry and Dusty Premium Member almost 14 years ago
I received this in an email thought it was very good, and since it’s Veteran’s Day and Marg started off with Flanders Fields, I thought I would share this with you all. The Veterans of Foreign Wars awarded Ms. Cothren “Teacher of the Year” award.
A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . And colleges
Back in September, a couple of years ago,on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
‘Ms.. Cothren, where’re our desks?’
She replied, ‘You can’t have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.’
They thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s our grades.’ ‘No,’ she said.
‘Maybe it’s our behavior.’ She told them, ‘No, it’s not even your behavior.’
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, ‘Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.’
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.
The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall… By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..
Martha said, ‘You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens.
They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.’
By the way, this is a true story.
Please consider passing this along so others won’t forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by War Veterans.
Dry and Dusty Premium Member almost 14 years ago
I apologize for the length but felt it was worth sharing today!
jackmatt almost 14 years ago
Well worth it, Dry… Thanks.
GROG Premium Member almost 14 years ago
That was awesome, Fellow Baby! One of the very few long posts that I am very happy to have read.
quanticobaby almost 14 years ago
MARG, my mom used to quote that poem every Fourth of July and on Veterans’ Day. Thank you…
Wow, DRY, not a dry eye here…
Yes, Calvin, it is hard to “be religious” in the bad times! “He is able…”
runninanreadin almost 14 years ago
I saw this bumper sticker a week ago, Dry:
“If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it’s in English, thank a veteran.”
Amen.
Sandfan almost 14 years ago
Great story, Dry.
Heads up for Margueritem and anyone else interested in things Holmesian…Sherlock is on again at 8PM CST on PBS tonight.
mike.firesmith almost 14 years ago
**Good morning Marg! Good morning Fran and Kizzzy! Good Morning L’Wolf! Good Morning Grog!**
Thank you Marg!
And thank you Vets!!!!
mike.firesmith almost 14 years ago
**Good morning Marg! Good morning Fran and Kizzzy! Good Morning L’Wolf! Good Morning Grog!**
Thank you Marg!
And thank you Vets!!!!
kab2rb almost 14 years ago
kab2rb almost 14 years ago
Dry and Marg great tributes today for veterans everywhere a day of remembrances.
k9mac almost 14 years ago
a heartfelt thank you to all those who have written today and a more than heartfelt thank you to all that have served, and lost, for our freedoms. thanks granpa, dad, uncles and brother and cousins……..
carmy almost 14 years ago
Lots of great posts today, especially from Marg and Dry.
Hoomi almost 14 years ago
In the same spirit, if I may post the link to Terry Kelly’s powerful reminder, “Pittance of Time,”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYlrrAWCTRg&feature=share
I would love to see the United States adopt a similar practice.
Paula almost 14 years ago
Marg, Dry, Thank you. Hoomi, Thank you for the link. Horizon, Happy Birthday.
ldyhwkd almost 14 years ago
Marg, Dry, and Hoomi - thank you for your posts.
Happy Birthday Horizon
Dino-1 almost 14 years ago
Happy Veteran’s Day! We have a long line of Air Force Veteran’s in my family that we’re all so proud of today.
’
bmonk almost 14 years ago
It’s not so hard to be religious, Calvin, when you realize that, in a “perfect” would you would have been hit long ago by your own bolt of lightning–but instead you have been granted the chance to repent and change, along with the help you need to do so, just as Moe is. That is why I am religious: so that I can be the best person I can be.
jrcarter53 almost 14 years ago
Glad to see you decided to stay around Hobbes. The comments are blessed with your input.
bevgreyjones almost 14 years ago
Hoomi, I am in my 60s. When I was growing up, almost everyone and everything paused at 11:11 on November 11th for one minute of silence. The radio went silent, classes stopped, people in stores and on the street would stand still. That was the time the armistice for WW 1 was signed.
It’s not a practice we need to adopt as much as one we need to go back to. I imagine there are still places this is observed, but my guess is that they are most likely in the more unhurried areas of the country.
gofinsc almost 14 years ago
I predict Moe will enlist in the Army after he drops out of high school, and will become a supply sergeant.
JP Steve Premium Member almost 14 years ago
yes, thanks for all the great posts. I’m watching the ceremony at Victory Square (Vancouver) as I write this. 10:49 PST – we’ll have our minute’s silence in 11 minutes (on the hour here)
JP Steve Premium Member almost 14 years ago
And now the silence is over and we’re onto the lament.
Debra Shore Premium Member almost 14 years ago
With all of the bullying going on nowadays, I hope that Bill Watterson has Moe get his comeuppance.
lin4869 almost 14 years ago
Hope you’re having a terrific birthday, Horizon–what a terrific gift!
ratlum almost 14 years ago
Moe has gone to far, there must be some supervision here some place.
UBarW almost 14 years ago
Three before me served. WWII, Korea, and ‘Nam. I didnt serve, and I wish I had. My way of saying thank you is to participate with the Patriot Guard Riders, and to greet any military OR first responder I see. Thank you needs to come everyday, not just 11-11. I love these people.
margueritem almost 14 years ago
Thanks for posting that great story, Dry.
adhdsurviver almost 14 years ago
beautiful marg! just beautiful!
COWBOY7 almost 14 years ago
Some awesome posts from Marg, Dry and everyone. It is great to see this.
Thank you to all the veterans, past and present. Everyone of them, men and women, during peacetime or in war time, signed that “blank check” when they were sworn in! God bless you all! Brothers forever!
Puddleglum2 almost 14 years ago
GreatEighthSin said, “Hence the reason why I’m not religious at all.” Now I know what the GreatEighthSin is! :o) When the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory, he will overcome evil and wickedness, and establish a kingdom of peace and righteousness. Ultimately, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein righteousness dwells.” II Peter 3:13
George Arnold almost 14 years ago
Thank you Marg and Dry.
runar almost 14 years ago
A good reason to be an atheist.
larney45 almost 14 years ago
Red Skelton had a way of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (for the US folk) that wouldn’t be bad to hear, especially on this day of remembrance…Marg, and awesome way to begin. Hope the link works!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwYBMasloHI
moronbis almost 14 years ago
Very nice one, Dry.
GreatEighthSin and Puddleglum2, Coincidentally I came across this quote by Albert Einstein - “The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer “.
lindz.coop Premium Member almost 14 years ago
Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool. Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school. To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here I fought for King and country I love dear. ‘Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung, The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung Our families back in England were toasting us that day Their brave and glorious lads so far away.
I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound Says I, “Now listen up, me boys!” each soldier strained to hear As one young German voice sang out so clear. “He’s singing bloody well, you know!” my partner says to me Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more As Christmas brought us respite from the war As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” struck up some lads from Kent The next they sang was “Stille Nacht.” “Tis ‘Silent Night’,” says I And in two tongues one song filled up that sky “There’s someone coming toward us!” the front line sentry cried All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man’s Land With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave ‘em hell We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home These sons and fathers far away from families of their own Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin This curious and unlikely band of men
Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night “Whose family have I fixed within my sights?” ‘Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung For the walls they’d kept between us to exact the work of war Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore
My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell Each Christmas come since World War I, I’ve learned its lessons well That the ones who call the shots won’t be among the dead and lame And on each end of the rifle we’re the same
© 1984 John McCutcheon - All rights reserved
Kudos to John McCutcheon for preserving this true story forever in song!!
rumplesnitz almost 14 years ago
I cannot believe the number of people who do not recognize ‘In Flanders Fields’… Uneducated, uncaring, ungrateful, selfish, doltish, automatons. All Dem’s, no doubt.
niarja almost 14 years ago
you got that right, calvin
niarja almost 14 years ago
you got that right, calvin
Wiseguy411 almost 14 years ago
Rumplesnitz, I do not often comment in this forum politically.
However, I believe that it is the Dem’s that do have a care and are most likely to remember.
It’s more likely that the GOP are the ones that first pulled the trigger !
CalvinsFan1845 almost 14 years ago
Welcome back Hobbes. Yes, it would be nice if they woud let you go to school with Calvin - you would do a good job of protecting him. It would be worth the sacrifice of getting up early to teach that mean ole bully Moe a lesson.
RadioTom almost 14 years ago
And of all the gin joints in all the world.. - Ooops, wrog reference…
Kab Buch, like the picture… says it all.
Yes, war is just about every yucky term imaginable - but the alternatives can be MUCH worse.. the seldom - used fourth verse of the Star Spangled Banner says it…
“O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war’s desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave”
And again, contemporarily; Heather Alexander - March of Cambreadth…
“…Fight to keep this land your own.. [..] How Many Of THEM Can We Make Die!”
Thanks to all veterans… and may God bless…
RadioTom almost 14 years ago
Oh, for pity’s sake,Night-Gaunt49 ! Which bowl of liberal KoolAid have you been drinking?
Link to March of Cambreadth, BTW - several video renditions on YouTube…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCrnF844_ww
CalvinsFan1845 almost 14 years ago
Here is a great video honoring our veterans. It will bring tears to your eyes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KTb6qdPu8JE
Puddleglum2 almost 14 years ago
moronbis, “He who laughs last, laughs best.” I hope Einstein finally made it to Heaven where he can still laugh. Otherwise, the laugh is on him, unfortunately. “He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall hold them in derision.” Psalm 2:4 One doesn’t have to be a nonbeliever or a believer to be a bigot!
horizon1129 almost 14 years ago
Thank you all for your wishes!!! :)
josh_bisbee almost 14 years ago
I have a grandfather who fought in the Vietnam War, an uncle who was in the armed forces, and a brother-in-law who’s serving now. All three have come home, but we still need to remember those who have not.
Trisha_Evenstar almost 14 years ago
Brilliant Calvin!
alan.gurka almost 14 years ago
Moe would make a good Grunt.