This Monday, May 25, 2020 is Memorial Day and we would like to take this time to honor the brave men and women who died while serving our country.
In the past many Americans would observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials and participating in parades. However, current events have limited the ability to have or attend these gatherings, so you might consider attending virtually. On Friday, May 22, 2020 The American Legion Family will host a virtual National Poppy Day Watch Party on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/events/250530519656074/. Wearing a poppy flower on Memorial Day is a special way to show remembrance for our fallen soldiers, inspired by the World War I poem, “In Flanders Fields.” To learn more about this tradition go to
PoppyInMemory.com. This site offers users a variety of ways to engage, including dedicating a virtual poppy to a hero that gave their life in battle, the ability to learn about each military conflict and the losses suffered, and information on the many ways in which Americans can #HonorThroughAction this Memorial Day.
Thank you to our brave men and women in uniform for the sacrifices you have made for the freedoms we have in the United States of America.
In Flanders Fields
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.
This poem is in the public domain.
John McCrae (1872-1918) A doctor and a teacher who served in World War I, is the author of the memorial poem “In Flanders Fields.”
“All gave some; Some gave all.” Korean War veteran and purple heart recipient Howard William Osterkamp from Dent, Ohio.
Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War, known originally as Decoration Day. It became an official federal holiday in 1971.