We Shall Keep the Faith

[Crystal8Phoenix]

'We Shall Keep the Faith'

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

By: Moina Michael


The tradition of wearing red poppies in honor of memorial day came from Moina Michael and her poem "We Shall Keep the Faith", inspired by John McCrae’s poem 'In Flanders Fields'. Moina Michael was the first to wear and sell red poppies, donating the money to service men in need. Later a visiting Madam Guerin from France brought the tradition back to her country, the proceeds benefiting orphaned children and widows.

What other memorial day traditions do you know?

[Pawlas Cathena]

Isn't wearing red poppies a British thing? Or did they do that for a totally different reason?

[Raymond Jason Foxx]

We had vets selling tiny little fake poppies in front of our grocery store earlier this week. I didn't have any cash to spare, tho. sad

I don't know what traditions there are other than barbecues, days off, and forgetting all about our men-in-arms for the sake of a good time. Everybody gets drunk and over-stuffed on American food. It's the same day / kind of holiday as Fourth of July, only minus the fireworks.

I don't think I've ever honored the men and women who served our country on this day. It's a sad shame, really.

I hear some people plant flowers on the graves of those who served.

[Raymond Jason Foxx]

Super 9-Volt

Isn't wearing red poppies a British thing? Or did they do that for a totally different reason?

Apparently, it's a U.S. thing too?? (see above post) Maybe it's something that came over along with some of our other traditions. Britain is our mother country, after all.


Btw, Toonami does not suck. It's the best stuff gleaned out of Cartoon Network and made into a smaller segment -- one that's not full of crap. And by the way, I'm a child of the 80s. Born in '83. I have a friend I'll be sending your way. He just ranted to me last night about how great it is.

[GoingUnder9413]

daft lolz

[Pawlas Cathena]

Raymond Jason Foxx

Super 9-Volt

Isn't wearing red poppies a British thing? Or did they do that for a totally different reason?

Apparently, it's a U.S. thing too?? (see above post) Maybe it's something that came over along with some of our other traditions. Britain is our mother country, after all.


Btw, Toonami does not suck. It's the best stuff gleaned out of Cartoon Network and made into a smaller segment -- one that's not full of crap. And by the way, I'm a child of the 80s. Born in '83. I have a friend I'll be sending your way. He just ranted to me last night about how great it is.

I don't give a crap when you were born. It doesn't change the fact that it sucks.

[Diamond Rika]

The poppies are also handed out on Veterans Day (Armistice Day) in some areas. 3nodding

The biggest tradition I know other than the poppies is the planting of the flags over the graves in Arlington. And my church put up flags and banners to honor soldiers and veterans this weekend.