In tribute to our fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day,
we reprint the John McCrae poem…
WWI: In Flanders Fields
John McCrae (1872-1918)
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.
And A Memorial Day Litany
We remember and honor those whose lives were
given in service to us:
The 184,000 who served in the Revolutionary War
and the 4,435 who died in that service.
The 286,703 who served in the War of 1812
and the 6,765 who died in that service.
The 78,718 who served in the Mexican War
and the 13,283 who died in that service.
The 3.500,000 who served in the Civil War
and the the 530,000 who died in that service.
The 306,760 who served in the Spanish-American War
and the 2,446 who died in that service.
The 4,743,826 who served in World War One
and the 116,708 who died in that service.
The 16,353,659 who served in World War Two
and the 407,316 who died in that service.
The 5,764,143 who served in the Korean War
and the 33,651 who died in that service.
The 8,744,000 who served in the Vietnam War
and the 58,168 who died in that service.
The 467,539 who served in the Persian Gulf War
and the 268 who died in that service.
The 320,000 who served and are serving in the Afghanistan War
and the 492 who have died in that service.
The 1,680,000 who served and are serving in the Iraq War
and the 4,021 who have died in that service.
as spoken during Sunday services at American Lutheran Church in Harlowton
