This is the time of year that people recite the WWI poem “In Flanders Fields.” One part of that poem stands out for me.
“Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch. Be yours to hold it high.”
A simple appeal–that future generations never forget that men and women died to keep the world free of tyranny.
Then came the Great Depression or “the Dirty Thirties.” Unrest grew out of hunger caused by drought, the stock market crash of ‘29, which caused constant unemployment. In Europe, a tyrant quickly rose to power. His rise was accomplished by his ability to feed into blame and capitalize on unrest caused by the depression, among other reasons, such as racism. All attempts to contain his rhetoric failed, which soon led to World War II. Indeed, the Allied Forces then picked up “the torch.”
Even though most of the veterans of that war have now passed on, their children still have memories of the effects of war on their parents. I personally have a distinct memory. My father fought in the Dieppe raid. He was asked to give my grade 12 class an account of his experience. This surprised me, as I had never heard him speak of the war before that time. I sat in class, spellbound, as he spoke of survivors’ guilt when his friend was killed right beside him. (Why him, not me?) I watched him contain tears that welled up as he spoke of how his friend and others died that day. I felt closer to my father than I ever had, and I vowed never to forget!
Every Remembrance Day service that I attend, I recall all the veterans that I knew as I grew up. To this day, name by name, I give them thanks for my freedom.
Once again, the world finds itself in a period of great unrest. For almost two years now, Covid-19 has monopolized our lives. Misinformation and blatant lies are everywhere. This has precipitated a distrust in elected governments, a rise in racism, and the ability for people to project the responsibility for their actions onto others. Despots are flexing muscle towards perceived weaker nations and individuals, and despot wannabes are seeding doubt in election results.
Let me cite another part of “In Flanders Fields.”
“If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.”
We have all been here before. We’ve forgotten that the ultimate goal of Remembrance Day is to remember the sacrifices our brave military made in the interest of world peace. Throughout history, suppression, hunger, and desire for power and dominance have led us to war. Are the seeds of another global war floating in the air?
“Lest we forget.”
Fran Millar
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
