Wow

Trying to get out of here, but I just had to point out this story about the remains of some soldiers found at Ypres; similar to the story about the pile of remains recently found at Ground Zero, except these ones are 80 some odd years old. This quote from one of the people visiting the battlefield really struck me: "It's the whole thing of they thought it would be over by Christmas. They died so we could have the freedom we've got today, and at the end of the day, people seem to forget that."

Indeed. And yet the First World War wasn't really as much about freedom (from what I know of it, which like so many topics isn't as much as I would like) as it was about political maneuverings; of all the wars of the 20th century I think it is generally seen as the most avoidable and regrettable. A random question: are Americans familiar with the poem In Flanders Fields? Because in Canada (well - a part of this has to do with the school I went to, too) it's read every Remembrance Day, November 11th, also known as Armistice Day or Veteran's Day here in the US - at least, I think that's when Veteran's Day is. It's a beautiful, haunting poem, and one that I know almost by heart because of all the repetitions I had to endure. It's funny how things that you're ambivalent to in your youth stick around in your head. Or is that just me?

In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
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.