As the Great War raged on all across Europe, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrea, a Canadian Physician from Guelph, Ontario, was paying his last respects at the gravesite of his good friend Alex Hemer.
When Colonel McCrea sadly looked around, he noticed that poppies were the only thing growing amongst the crosses.
As he gazed at the final resting place of the fallen soldiers, he was inspired to write his immortal poem, “In Flanders Fields.”
After enduring the butchering of Mr. McCrea’s poem at a Remembrance Day service a few years ago, my old bandmate from The Jury, Bruce Walker, disgustingly headed home, where he plugged in his guitar, turned on the tape recorder and gave the famous poem a melody.
Bruce’s version of “In Flanders Fields,” which he dedicates to the fallen soldiers in all the wars, is now in the Lt. Col. John McCrae museum in Guelph and is being played at more and more legions every year during their Remembrance Day services.
(Mr. McCrae is pictured above, Bruce below. Click the link below to hear Bruce’s haunting rendition of “In Flanders Field.”
Scarce was heard amid the guns below.
In Flanders fields.
In Flanders fields.
For a peek at upcoming Blogs or to see some you may have missed, go to GeorgeJohns.com. On Twitter @GeoOfTheRadio. Sharing and commenting are appreciated.
..
Thank you for remembering George.
Bruce
Great message George
Thanks, Billy Bob.
Jed Duvall: A fitting remembrance by Bruce, with a heartfelt narrative, George. Thank you and God Bless those and their families who gave all so that we could be free. (Flanders Feild)
Geo: I love how haunting Bruce’s rendition of it is, Jed.