On this day in 1914, Britain went to war. She had issued an ultimatum, demanding that Germany respect the neutrality of Belgium in the conflict between France and Russia vs. Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But Germany chose to enter Belgium anyway, and when the ultimatum expired without a German withdrawal, the British government announced that they were now at war with Germany. There is something all of us should see. Ceramic poppies have been planted in the dry moat of the Tower of London, one for each British and Commonwealth dead. Except for one finally poppy. And that will be added on Remembrance Day, November 11, 2014. What used to be Armistice Day, but we in the US now celebrate as Veterans Day. Do you know how over 888,000 dead would look like, if each were represented by a poppy? It’s one of the most impressive sights I think I’ve ever seen. This was Rutledge’s war, and Bess Crawford’s war, the men who died at Rutledge’s side, and the men she worked to save at aid stations. It was Captain Hastings’ war, in the Agatha Christie Poirot mysteries. It was Lord Peter Wimsey’s war, and Bunter’s too. The list goes on. Go to petapixel/2014/08/02/breathtaking-photos-tower-london-adorned-888246-ceramic-poppies-commemorate-wwi/ As a way to mark this date in history, it’s powerful, a reminder that we owe so much to those who have given their lives so that we can enjoy the fruits of freedom.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:05:11 +0000
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