OT: November 11 is Veterans Day.

[Kibitzer]

After WW I (formerly "The Great War" or "The War to End All Wars" - until WW II came along), the national holiday called Armistice Day was established, respecting the signing of the Armistice that ended the fighting (signed on the 11h hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918).

In 1954, by act of Congress and signed into law by President Eisenhower, this holiday was renamed Veterans Day, as a means of honoring the millions of Americans who had recently served in WW II, not to mention Korea,

Note that this day is properly entitled VETERANS DAY. It often appears in print with an errant apostrophe (e.g., Veteran's or Veterans' Day), which is an ubiquitous if minor error. On a personal note, I prefer the word "commemoration" to "celebration" when referring to Veterans Day activities.

Annually our Boneyard moderators give a gracious shout-out of sorts to our vets which I know is greatly appreciated,

Now, 'Yarders and lurkers alike - have an enriching, flag-waving, and thirst-quenching Veterans Day on November 11. You can bet your sweet bippy that I will.

PS. It's not me in the pic, but a brother.

 

[UcMiami]

An interesting note is that we have two military service commemoration days almost 6 months apart Veterans Day and Memorial Day - one specific to people who died in service (though in practice to all who have passed who served) and one for all who served, living and dead. I suspect this is fairly unique on a national basis to the US.

FYI - Britain, rather than flag pins and flags, commemorates WWI with red poppies pinned to the lapel - a reference to the wild poppies that bloom across the battlefields and cemeteries of the first world war.

 

[meyers7]

An interesting note is that we have two military service commemoration days almost 6 months apart Veterans Day and Memorial Day - one specific to people who died in service (though in practice to all who have passed who served) and one for all who served, living and dead. I suspect this is fairly unique on a national basis to the US.

FYI - Britain, rather than flag pins and flags, commemorates WWI with red poppies pinned to the lapel - a reference to the wild poppies that bloom across the battlefields and cemeteries of the first world war.

Flanders Field.

 

[AndyCT]

FYI - Britain, rather than flag pins and flags, commemorates WWI with red poppies pinned to the lapel - a reference to the wild poppies that bloom across the battlefields and cemeteries of the first world war.

As meyers pointed out, the poppies are really more specifically about Flanders Fields. Though the poppy is worn in all commonwealth countries, it is far more commonly worn in our neighbor to the north, Canada, than any other country – perhaps in large part be due to the author of the poem “In Flanders Fields”, John McCrae, being a Canadian.

The poppy has even been embedded in various Canadian coins.

Our own VFW also distributes “Buddy Poppies”.

As an airline pilot, I always grab one or two when in Canada, and as an ex-military member, I always wear one on my uniform lapel whether or not I’m flying internationally on Remembrance Day.

If you get a chance in the next week or two, as Armistice/Veterans/Remembrance Day approaches, do a search on Remembrance Poppies or Flanders Fields (or just follow this link). It's really quite moving.

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.​

 

[UcMiami]

Its is Flanders fields referring to the former country (currently part of Belgium) and the area of land over which much of WWI was fought including Ypres and Passchendaele. As the poem states many WWI cemeteries stretch almost from horizon to horizon. According to Wiki there are 173 British military cemeteries in West Flanders alone as well as 17 French, numerous Belgian, and 4 major German cemeteries (contain about 130,000 german graves.) There is only one American cemetery in Belgium actually called Flanders Field and by WWI cemetery standard it is small containing only 411 graves or memorials.