When I grew up in Canada you always knew it would soon be Remembrance Day as most people sported poppies on their lapels. The poppies are in reference to a poem called "In Flanders Fields" written by a Canadian soldier named John McCrae, a military surgeon. Its first couplet reads, "In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row." McCrae would find himself among those rows succumbing to pneumonia early in 1918.
In the 20 plus years I have lived in this country, I can count the number of poppies I've seen on one hand and there's a good chance they were worn by Canadians or Brits. Whereas Remembrance Day commemorates those who died in war, Veterans' Day honors the soldiers still among us. Of course, American soldiers who perished during war are honored on Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.
Given that for many people Memorial Day signifies the unofficial beginning of summer a couple of years back I mused that we ought to switch Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Honor the living in May and remember the dead in November. If nothing else, a parade seems more fitting in May.
Naturally, I have no such illusions such a proposal will come to pass. In the grand scheme of things it is not so important when we remember our military veterans so long as we remember them.
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