The junior ROTC kids were at Wal-Mart on Saturday, raising money for disabled vets, and they were giving out little fabric “forget-me-not” flowers with your donation. I HAVE seen fabric poppies in the past, but it’s been many years, and in recent years the forget-me-nots (which is also nice, if not poetry-inspired) seem to be the norm.

The poppies make me think of the poem, and also the Sting song “Children’s Crusade” (on the album “The Dream of the Blue Turtles”…how apropos!)

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sting/childrenscrusade.html

Laurie C, I think a lot of us here are of “un certain age.”

I also watched Testament of Youthand read Vera Brittain’s books. I thought I was the only one. She was an interesting feminist as well as chronicler of WWI.

Green Sea Turtles!!!

Also known as Honu by Hawaiian folk.

I got to go snorkeling with them on the Big Island last summer. I love them.

I adooooore them. I wish I saw more of them on this stupid island.

ReAllY cUtE!!!!!! TURTLES ARE GREAT!!!!

bunnajenny’s book rec. – Vera Brittain’s memoir of service as a volunteer nurse on the front (WWI) is excellent, BTW.

There was a BBC TV adaptation that also played on Masterpiece Theater here in the US. I was riveted and bought all 3 volumes of Brittain’s memoirs as a result. Memorable reading, Testament of Youth especially.

Now might be the time, what with the centenary of WWI and a fresh crop of vets and all.

E.C., that’s interesting. Maybe we should start a campaign to bring the poppy back to America…

Maureen, of course! “Armistice” is very WWI-specific, and not about those who died. But “Remembrance” is pretty all-encompassing…

a thinker, I used to be made to wear fake poppies (sold by VFW members) whether I liked it or not! (My mom said I had to, and that was that.)

I believe that things began to change after Vietnam vets started coming home – the times and mood were so different than post-WWII, or even Korea….

Aubes, I’ve been known to commemorate ANZAC day during my Australian identity phase. It’s as solemn as Remembrance Day but with something much more raw…that loss of innocence thing, is just heartbreaking. “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda…” combined with a screening of Gallipoli and I’m a blubbering mess.

A very good book on the human element of WWI is Vera Brittain’s “Testament of Youth.”

The last person to serve in an active war zone in the bunna family was my great-uncle, he was a bicycle messenger on the front lines during WWI in France. He survived the war only to die of the Spanish flu while waiting to return to England.