Yeah, That Happened: Topics in History

[Carolinian]

This is a really cool local memorial to fallen WWI soldiers.

[Deleted]

Nov 9, 2018 14:58:23 GMT -4 petitesuite said:

In first grade we all memorized In Flanders Fields so I know the significance of poppies from that. We also had Veterans Day off when I was in school although I have since learned that is not at all standard across public schools in the US. I grew up in Connecticut.

I never had to memorize it, but I did read it in high school (though that might be because I always skipped ahead and read the selections not assigned in class, I don't remember if it was officially "taught"). I don't remember if the author was an American or Canadian soldier (or British possibly?). I've never seen anybody wearing a poppy pin, but I've also never had a day off for Veterans Day. It's mostly the federal government and maybe the state government offices that close. Schools are all open. Incidentally, I was rereading Rilla of Ingleside yesterday, and caught a few references to poppies in the book.

[Deleted]

Beautiful sand art project by Pages of the Sea and Danny Boyle for Armistice day, there were several beaches involved this one is in Folkestone, Kent. Danny Boyle had chosen the beach and Wilfred Owen as Kent's portrait, as he had left for France from there in the First World War - his last sight of home

[chonies]

Nov 11, 2018 13:19:00 GMT -4 @stargirl said:

Nov 9, 2018 14:58:23 GMT -4 petitesuite said:

In first grade we all memorized In Flanders Fields so I know the significance of poppies from that. We also had Veterans Day off when I was in school although I have since learned that is not at all standard across public schools in the US. I grew up in Connecticut.

I never had to memorize it, but I did read it in high school (though that might be because I always skipped ahead and read the selections not assigned in class, I don't remember if it was officially "taught"). I don't remember if the author was an American or Canadian soldier (or British possibly?). I've never seen anybody wearing a poppy pin, but I've also never had a day off for Veterans Day. It's mostly the federal government and maybe the state government offices that close. Schools are all open. Incidentally, I was rereading Rilla of Ingleside yesterday, and caught a few references to poppies in the book.

Canadian. He was a physician and died of pneumonia before the war ended, which somehow makes the poem even more poignant--I can imagine him wondering if the war would even end.

If anyone ever finds themselves in Kansas City, I recommended the WWI memorial/museum very highly because it explains the roots and context very well.

[Deleted]

Interesting. I wonder if Walter's war poem in "Rilla" is supposed to be modeled on In Flanders Field.

[Deleted]

I'm only about half way through Peter Jacksons They Shall Not Grow Old and it is chilling but essential viewing the colourization and change in speed to the archive footage makes it all so horribly real. If you can see it, do. Its a difficult harrowing watch its the true horror of the First World War.
Review from The Guadian, They Shall Not Grow Old

[Mugsy]

I don't remember if the author was an American or Canadian soldier (or British possibly?). I've never seen anyone wearing a poppy

The poppy is huge here, maybe because Colonel John McCrae was from Guelph, Ontario, not far from here. Kids in school get a poppy sticker and even my 4-year-old granddaughter can recite "In Flanders Fields". Every newscaster and TV host wears a poppy from Nov. 1-11. Remembrance Day isn't a holiday and although some think it should be, I disagree. Given a day off school and work, it just becomes another vacay day. Rather, schools have ceremonies or assemblies, and many workplaces have a minute of silence at 11 am. Many allow their employees to attend Cenotaph services.

[Deleted]

My nephews’ school does a Veterans Day concert every year (they’re in Western Massachusetts), and I have Veterans Day off at work (city government.) Poppies aren’t really a thing but some Veterans groups sell little fake forget-me-nots that my dad always buys if he runs across one. They don’t really do much about WWI. I did study In Flanders Fields and a couple of other WWI poems in college.

I have one paternal great-grandfather that fled northern Italy for the U.S. shortly after the war started, I assume to get away from it. That’s the only connection I really have to the war and it’s somewhat tenuous.

[chitowngirl]

I remember veterans selling poppies for Veterans Day when I was growing up. We always donated for one. Sadly, that’s all but disappeared but Veterans Day sales are going strong in retail!

[ratscabies]

So THAT'S what the pretty nurse behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout was doing?

Learn something new every day....