鈥淚n Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row,鈥� those words, written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McRae on May 3, 1915, are the first lines of what may be one of the most famous poems in our land.聽
We have all heard the poem In Flanders Fields in school and it is recited every year on Remembrance Day. Its significance is shared by those who served in the military and by those who honour those who served.聽
John McRae was a Canadian doctor who served in the First World War and was inspired to write In Flanders Fields after attending the funeral of a good friend who was killed in the Second Battle of Ypres in France.聽
Contemporary accounts indicate that McRae was not satisfied with the poem, but it was published anyway and became a popular and enduring testament to the sacrifices that war demands.聽
After the end of the war on Nov. 11, 1918, Madame Anna Guerin of France pushed to distribute poppies on the anniversary of Armistice Day to raise funds for veterans and to honour those who died in that conflict.聽聽
On July 6, 1921 the forerunners of the Royal Canadian Legion adopted the poppy as the flower of remembrance. The poppy has also been adopted by veterans groups around the world to honour those who served and their sacrifices. Each country has its own version of the poppy, but the blood red colour and its meaning are ubiquitous.
John MacRae鈥檚 poem may not be as well known outside of Canada as it is within, but the symbol of the poppy is recognized internationally. The poppy has been with us for 100 years as a symbol, as a remembrance and as a warning of the horrors of war.聽
鈥淟est We Forget.鈥�
