![\"Upper](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/8\/83\/Lieut.-Col._John_McCrae%2C_M.D..jpg\/800px-Lieut.-Col._John_McCrae%2C_M.D..jpg\")
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Lieut.-Colonel John McCrae, left, author of the poem “In Flanders Fields” from the book\u00a0In Flanders Fields and Other Poems<\/em> (1919).<\/p>\n During the early days of the Second Battle of Ypres during the First World War, a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0May, 1915 in the gun positions near Ypres.\u00a0 An exploding German artillery shell landed near him.\u00a0 He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander\u00a0Major John McCrae.<\/b><\/p>\n As the brigade doctor, John McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for Alexis because the chaplain had been called away somewhere else on duty that evening. It is believed that later that evening, after the burial, John began the draft for his now famous poem \u201cIn Flanders Fields\u201d.<\/p>\n In the original, handwritten version, the first line ends with the word “grow” while in the printed version the line ends with “blow.”<\/p>\n In Flanders Fields<\/em><\/p>\n In Flanders fields the poppies\u00a0blow<\/span><\/em> We are the Dead. \u00a0\u00a0Short days ago<\/em> Take up our quarrel with the foe:<\/em> On Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, this poem is often cited at remembrance services and singular poppies are still worn to commemorate the fallen.<\/p>\n Lieut.-Colonel John McCrae, left, author of the poem “In Flanders Fields” from the book\u00a0In Flanders Fields and Other Poems (1919). During the early days of the Second Battle of Ypres during the First World War, a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2nd\u00a0May, 1915 in the gun positions near Ypres.\u00a0 An […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3611","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3611\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libnews.binghamton.edu\/specialcollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"The](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/0e\/In_Flanders_fields_and_other_poems%2C_handwritten.png\/800px-In_Flanders_fields_and_other_poems%2C_handwritten.png\")
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\n Between the crosses, row on row,<\/em>
\n That mark our place; and in the sky<\/em>
\n The larks, still bravely singing, fly<\/em>
\n Scarce heard amid the guns below.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,<\/em>
\n Loved and were loved, and now we lie<\/em>
\n In Flanders fields.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n To you from failing hands we throw<\/em>
\n The torch; be yours to hold it high.<\/em>
\n If ye break faith with us who die<\/em>
\n We shall not sleep, though poppies grow<\/em>
\n In Flanders fields.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Image](\"http:\/\/www.legion.ca\/images\/default-source\/default-album\/default-album\/legion-history-of-the-poppy-wbg-resized.png?sfvrsn=0\")
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