The common poppy
Papaver rhoeas, lay dormant in the soil of the Flanders corn fields until the heavy shelling of WW1 disturbed the ground. It became the symbol of remembrance for those whose lives were lost, including my grandfather's cousin, Benjamin Richard Knowles, aged 24years, killed on May 16th 1915 at Flanders. Remembered at Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.
Take up your 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
John McCrae
We owe much to the people that serve, as well as their families that also make sacrifices. What a poignant poem about veterans!
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