Remembering Our Heroes: Armed Forces Day & Memorial Day

Hello everyone –

Tomorrow (Saturday, May 19^th) is celebrated as Armed Forces Day in the United States, and Memorial Day will be observed nine days later, on Monday, May 28^th. In this edition of Quotemail, we remember all our departed heroes, from many times and climes, those whom we have known and loved, and those whom we have never had the honor to know personally but to whom we are nonetheless deeply grateful for their service and sacrifice.

The observance of Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) began in the aftermath of the American Civil War. It was first widely observed in both North and South during May 1867, to honor all the soldiers who had died in battle (over 600,000 people died in the Civil War, making it the bloodiest war in American history). Here are a few poems and reflections to remind us of all the heroes who have died in defense of our country – not only during the Civil War, but also before and after.

“The Blue and the Gray” (1867)

By Francis Miles Finch (1827-1907)

By the flow of the inland river,

    Whence the fleets of iron have fled,

Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver,

    Asleep are the ranks of the dead:

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day;

        Under the one, the Blue,

            Under the other, the Gray

These in the robings of glory,

    Those in the gloom of defeat,

All with the battle-blood gory,

    In the dusk of eternity meet:

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day

        Under the laurel, the Blue,

            Under the willow, the Gray.

From the silence of sorrowful hours

    The desolate mourners go,

Lovingly laden with flowers

    Alike for the friend and the foe;

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day;

        Under the roses, the Blue,

            Under the lilies, the Gray.

So with an equal splendor,

    The morning sun-rays fall,

With a touch impartially tender,

    On the blossoms blooming for all:

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day;

        Broidered with gold, the Blue,

            Mellowed with gold, the Gray.

So, when the summer calleth,

    On forest and field of grain,

With an equal murmur falleth

    The cooling drip of the rain:

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day,

        Wet with the rain, the Blue

            Wet with the rain, the Gray.

Sadly, but not with upbraiding,

    The generous deed was done,

In the storm of the years that are fading

    No braver battle was won:

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day;

        Under the blossoms, the Blue,

            Under the garlands, the Gray

No more shall the war cry sever,

    Or the winding rivers be red;

They banish our anger forever

    When they laurel the graves of our dead!

        Under the sod and the dew,

            Waiting the judgment-day,

        Love and tears for the Blue,

            Tears and love for the Gray.

“Decoration Day”

By Evaleen Stein (1863-1923)

See the soldiers, little ones!

   Hark the drummers' beat!

See them with their flags and guns

   Marching down the street!

Tattered flags from out the wars,

   Let us follow these

To the little stripes and stars

   Twinkling through the trees.

Watch them waving through the grass

   Where the heroes sleep!

Thither gently let us pass

   On this day we keep.

Let us bring our blossoms, too,

   All our gardens grow;

Lilacs honey-sweet with dew,

   And the lilies' snow.

Every posy of the May,

   Every bloomy stem,

Every bud that breaks to-day

   Gather now for them.

Lay the lilies o'er them thus,

   Lovingly, for so

Down they laid their lives for us,

   Long and long ago.

Heap above them bud and bough;

   Softly, ere we cease,

God, we pray Thee, gently now

   Fold them in Thy peace!

We close with a special poem that takes on renewed meaning this year, which marks the 100^th anniversary of the conclusion of World War I.

“For the Fallen” (1914)

By Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, 

England mourns for her dead across the sea. 

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, 

Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal 

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres, 

There is music in the midst of desolation 

And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, 

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. 

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; 

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: 

Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. 

At the going down of the Sun and in the morning 

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; 

They sit no more at familiar tables of home; 

They have no lot in our labor of the day-time; 

They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound, 

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, 

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known 

As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, 

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; 

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, 

To the end, to the end, they remain.

Requiescant in pace. (May they rest in peace.)

Robertus (Rob)