IN FLANDERS FIELDS MEMORIAL PLAQUE

“IN FLANDERS FIELDS” WAS THE MOST FAMOUS POEM WRITTEN DURING WORLD WAR I. WRITTEN BY CANADIAN PHYSICIAN LT. COLONEL JOHN MCCRAE. HE WAS INSPIRED TO WRITE IN ON MAY 3, 1915, AFTER PRESIDING OVER THE FUNERAL OF FRIEND AND FELLOW SOLDIER ALEXIS HELMER WHO DIED IN THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES. MCCRAE WAS TAKEN BY THE POPPIES IN THE FIELD WHERE HIS FRIEND WAS BURIED. HE WROTE A POEM ABOUT THE POPPIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE WAR. INITALLY HE WAS UNSATISFIED WITH THE POEM AND DISCARDED IT. A FELLOW SOLDIER RETRIEVED THE POEM AND SUBMITTED IT TO THE LONDON BASED MAGAZINE PUNCH. THE MAGAZINE PUBLISHED THE POEM ON DECEMBER 8, 1915 AND IT BECAME AN IMMEDIATE SENSATION. ITS REFERENCE TO THE RED POPPIES THAT GREW OVER THE GRAVES OF THE FALLEN SOLDIERS RESULTED IN MOINA MICHAELS, AN AMERICAN WOMEN, CREATING THE REMEMBRANCE POPPY. THE POPPY BECAME ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST RECOGNIZED MEMORIAL SYMBOLS FOR SOLDIERS WHO HAVE DIED IN CONFLICT. MACRAE CONTRACTED PNEUMONIA ON JANUARY 13, 1918 AND HE DIED ON JANUARY 20, 1918 AT A MILITARY HOSPITAL. HE WAS BURIED WITH FULL MILITARY HONORS.