‘In Flanders Fields’: How a patriotic poem became an anti-war anthem

According to the Trail Times, Canadian physician, soldier, and poet John McCrae wrote to his mother about a battlefield where gunfire scarcely stopped before his words became part of Remembrance Day ceremonies. McCrae described the relentless fighting and suffering at the Second Battle of Ypres, writing in a letter that for seventeen days and seventeen nights none of them had their clothes off or boots off except occasionally, and that gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for sixty seconds. The Trail Times reports that McCrae was born in Guelph, Ontario, where he began writing poetry at a young age and grew up with a strong sense of duty to his country and the British Empire due to his father being a military leader. After serving in the Second Boer War, McCrae joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force at age 41 following the outbreak of the First World War. By April 1915, he served as a medical officer with the Canadian artillery near Ypres, Belgium, treating wounded soldiers through fierce fighting. The German army released chlorine gas against Allied positions on April 22, and despite the attack, Canadian troops held their ground for more than two weeks. The next day, sitting in the back of an ambulance at an Advanced Dressing Station outside Ypres, McCrae composed 'In Flanders Fields'. The Trail Times notes that in 2026, 111 years after its composition, the poem remains part of the language of remembrance, featuring lines such as 'In Flanders fields, the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row.' The Daily Cartoonist discusses the poem and mentions various perspectives on military service, veterans, and modern political events, noting that Canadians celebrate the poppy on Remembrance Day. The Daily Cartoonist also references memoirist Vera Brittain, who survived the war as a nurse near the front and wrote 'Testament of Youth' and 'The Lament of the Demobilized' after losing her brother, his best friend, and her lover. Additionally, The Daily Cartoonist touches upon contemporary political discussions regarding Pete Hegseth, mentioning comments from Dan Goldman and observations on legislative actions in the House.