Lest we forget

We will remember them

Jesse Beach

In Flanders the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row

We have all seen the poppies, read the poems, stood during the official moments of silence — held on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — but many of us do not recognize what we are truly observing on this date. Generalities are known to be sure; remembering fallen soldiers, praying for peace, but this vague grasping of the truth only scratches the surface of what this day means to so many people across the world.

That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

Remembrance Day was first established to commemorate the sacrifices of veterans and civilians in the First World War, being official observed on the anniversary of the end of the War at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. Though a formal state-of-war continued until the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, the cease fire which occurred on Nov. 11 is observed as the date the tragedies finally came to an end. Since the commemoration was first created by King George V of the United Kingdom on Nov. 7, 1919; the date has been expanded to include the soldiers and victims who gave their lives in the Second World War and other wars; it is a day for the tribute and remembrance of millions of victims spanning generations.

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

The First World War was known as “The Great War” or “The War to End All Wars,” because such an unprecedented loss of human life over such a short period of time had never occurred in human history; and no one could believe that anyone would allow such a tragic event to repeat itself. There were over 40 million human casualties (the population of Canada today is around 33 million) including 20 million deaths, 10 million of which are estimated to be civilian deaths and 21 million wounded. Numbers of this magnitude are simply too big to even contemplate when it comes to human life.

In Flanders Fields has become an integral part of Canadian history, resulting in many children memorizing the poem for Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Despite the horror of the First World War and the general belief that nothing so catastrophic could ever again plague the world, the Second World War saw the casualty total of the First World War, “The War to End All Wars,” nearly double. The Second World War statistics vary greatly, ranging from just over 50 million to over 70 million. The difference is the 20 million civilian deaths which occurred as a result of famine and disease after the end of the war that, up until recently, many did not count towards the wars total casualties. The Second World War rose to such drastic heights that it killed as many people after its conclusion as the First World War did in its entirety.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high

Because of the immense tragedy of both the First World War and the Second World War, much of the period’s literature was based around remembering the sacrifices of the dead. In Flanders Fields is one of the many poems that have been written about the First World War and is often recognized as the best known. It was written by Canadian lieutenant-colonel John McCrae, who wrote it on May 3, 1915, after witnessing the death of a friend. In this poem, McCrae speaks of the living’s responsibility to continue the fight after the dead have fallen. In Flanders Fields has become an integral part of Canadian history, resulting in many children memorizing the poem for Remembrance Day ceremonies. Though it was, at the time, a selfless and noble poem meant to strengthen the morale of fighting troops going into battle, it has been since taken up as a symbol of peace; used not only to remember those who have fallen, but to ensure that they did not die in vain, promoting the peace and stability in which they died for.

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

It is easy to read the casualty numbers and say how horrific they are, but it is nigh impossible to truly fathom the tremendous amount of human suffering and loss that occurred during the first half of the 20th century. Mere words cannot express the extent of the pain endured by people numbered in the tens, even hundreds of millions, and I will not dishonour those who past by trying to do so with my own limited knowledge of the events. However, I will add my wishes to those of John McCrae and hope that we do not forget the sacrifices made by so many; I hope the passage of time does not erode contemporary emotion of past suffering; and I hope that we will continue to truly remember why we observe this date and why it is so important to so many people.

Jesse Beach is a fourth-year English student.