In 1915, Canadian poet, soldier, and physician John McCrae penned the iconic poem In Flanders Fields: it is a memorial to those who died in World War I. Rich in imagery, it tells of lives once vibrant with hopes — of the death of dreams, of the fallen; of the impossible contradictions of nature’s beauty; of the brotherhood of men; of the immutable pleasures of life and the horrors of war on the battlefield. Through the voices of the dead, the reader is brought to the killing ground of war to witness, feel and understand the violence, the abrupt end of life, and with it hopes and dreams: the dead tell us what they have sacrificed. But they also charge the reader with a duty—a duty to honor them by continuing the fight.
Many generations have now passed since the war to end all wars. Each succeeding generation has been called to the battlefield to fight to preserve America. Known and unknown are honored in national cemeteries like Arlington National Cemetery, which have become the form and face of America’s sacred duty to honor those who carried the “torch” to preserve our peace and our freedom.
The chronicle of 100 years of faithful service has been captured in another poem: In Arlington. Inspired by the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 2021, President of the American Rose Society Bob Martin penned our generation’s response. As with In Flanders Field, the rich imagery of In Arlington brings the reader to this hallowed ground; with visions of falling snow, the flight of birds and white roses. We are surrounded by the living and the dead; the known and unknown at Arlington. The senses are energized, memories provoked, and we are transported to earlier days, and reunited with the generations that followed and kept faith with the sacred duty passed on so many years ago. It is our generation’s “electric cord” that connects us to every patriot grave.
by Richard A. Azzaro
The Bridge is a span of time during which our heroes are forever honored. The Bridge is flowers; from wild poppies of the killing fields to the pure white roses of our tribute bouquets, flowers speak to those heroes on our behalf. The Bridge is our collective voice, ringing true, remembering, never forgetting.
design by Marilyn Wellan
The Centennial Trilogy Continues with Part Three: In Arlington