05/25/2026
This Memorial Day, I wanted to share one of the most powerful pieces of wartime poetry ever written, "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae
But the story behind the words makes them even more heartbreaking.
In May 1915, during World War I, Canadian brigade surgeon John McCrae lost his close friend and former student, 22-year-old Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. Because the military chaplain was unavailable that day, McCrae had to step in himself to perform the burial service for his dear friend in the middle of the battlefield.
The very next day, sitting on the back of an ambulance, McCrae channeled his immense grief into these lines. He noticed how quickly bright red poppies began to bloom across the freshly dug graves of the fallen soldiers.
Today, we read these words to honor the ultimate sacrifices made by so many.
Turn your sound on to hear the full reading.
Lest we forget.
