Yesterday, 11/11, was Veterans Day. I wrote a Medium.com post about the history of the poppy, which is used as a symbol of remembrance for Veterans. When we went to Belgium on our recent trip, we visited the Flanders Fields museum in Ypres. There, we learned the significance of the poppy from our tour guide. It is a touching yet global story – inspired by John Mc Crae’s poem In Flanders Fields (1915).
While researching that story, I came across the poem written in 1918 by Moina Michael, a professor at a university in the American state of Georgia.
In addition, I found a little book of WWI poems at the Ypres Museum bookstore. It contains many poignant reminders of the toll The Great War, and those since, took.
In it is a small poem by Margaret Postgate Cole, The Veteran (1918), in which the age of the young men who fought is glaring. The Poetry Foundation has this poem, which I encourage you to read. Although it is in the public domain in the US, it is not in the UK, so I am not reposting it. You can read the poem here.
This reminded me of the graves we visited in Flanders Fields American Cemetery.
When I posted about our visit to Ypres last month, I did not share photos from our trip to the American Cemetery at Flanders Field.
Some of you have mentioned that, because of your familiarity with McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Fields, you would have loved to see this place. So come take a walk with me as I share what I saw.
© All photos by Carol Labuzzetta, 2026
As you can imagine, Flanders Field American Cemetery is a somber place. It was a gray, overcast day, which added to the seriousness of our visit. We had about forty-five minutes to walk through the grounds and enter the chapel, which was small and contained flags of the countries that participated in the battle and an altar. The flags included the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Belgium.
The chapel’s side walls are inscribed with the names of 43 American soldiers who died in the Belgian conflicts and were put to rest in unknown graves. This is known as the Tablets of the Missing.
Cemetery Particulars
Size: 6 acres
368 Headstones
Tablets of the Missing: 43
Unknowns: 21
Latin Crosses: 360
Stars of David: 8
Dedicated on August 8, 1937
There are three “secluded recesses.” These areas are meant for quiet contemplation and are inscribed with the four divisions that fought in Belgium. (Source for the above information is the brochure for Flanders Field American Cemetery and Memorial, 2021)
I am this week’s host for Poetry Friday. I hope you have time to read and reflect on our country’s veterans. We enjoy so many freedoms because of their commitments and sacrifices.
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As an Australian I feel a very strong connection with your post, Carol. The carnage of so many young lives leaves an indelible memory. One of my grandfathers was with the ambulance Corps in France. What he experienced affected him for the remainder of his life. I have not been to Flanders Fields museum in Ypres, but I have been to Gallipoli where young men from Australia first fought in WWI. Like Flanders, it is a place for solmen reflection and succeeding generations do well to heed the warnings of these conflicts. The various war poets encapsulated the deeper significance of these events. Your visit has been most appropriately shared. Thank you for hosting.
Thank you for this post, Carol, and thank you for hosting this week.
Thanks for this interesting post. Enjoyed hearing Michael’s poem. Enjoyed all your photos; I remember memorizing McCrae’s poem in grade school, and it was also one my father often recited. Since my mother was a WWII veteran, I always think of her on Veteran’s Day. Thanks for hosting this week!