Veterans Day marks the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

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.

Take up our 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, 1915

In April of 1915, John McCrae, brigade-surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery, gazed over a poppy-strewn field in Flanders. The ground held the bodies of his comrades killed in artillery fire the day before, and he penned this poem in their memory.

Three years later, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the Allied and Central powers signed an armistice — an agreement whereby both parties cease fire, but a formal surrender does not occur — to end the war. Although McCrae didn’t live to see the carnage end, his poem immortalized the poppy, and it became the symbol of honor for Allies who fought the “war to end all wars,” the bloodiest military conflict in human history that resulted in 29 million casualties and an estimated 13 million civilian deaths.

President Woodrow Wilson declared Armistice Day in 1919, and the day of remembrance remained so until 1954, when a legislative act renamed and dedicated the day to all members of the American military, past and present.

This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day. You can expect to see poppies on parade at Newton’s Veterans Day ceremony hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion. Since the 11th falls on a Sunday, the ceremony will begin at 11:11 a.m. Monday at the American Legion, 1101 W. Fourth St. S.

Harvey Olsthoorn, the Legion’s vice commander since July of 2017 and a retired U.S. Air Force E6 tech sergeant, explained the ceremony will begin with a flag line, followed by the National Anthem, a prayer and a speech. After a closing prayer, veterans will exit with another flag line before the presentation of wreaths for Newton veterans who have served from the American Civil War to present.

“I will probably be in the Legion Riders flag line,” Olsthoorn said. “We will hold service flags for each branch of service, the state flag, the prisoners of war flag and the United States flag.”

The American Legion and the VFW invite all to attend and reflect on the service of men and women as the colors fly Monday morning.

“It’s the time to honor the veterans who have served and are currently serving,” said Marta Ford, a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. “A lot of people mix up Memorial Day, which is a time to honor those who have given their lives in service, and Veterans Day. This is an opportunity to reflect on all of those who have served.”

Contact Phoebe Marie Brannock at 641-792-3121 ext. 6547 or pbrannock@newtondailynews.com