"Between the Crosses, row on row"

 I've been a regular volunteer at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, in Kansas City, Missouri, for a few months short of four years. Generally, I work two, 4 hour shifts weekly. Volunteering keeps my mind and body moving and frankly, it keeps me out of trouble! The museum has about 200 active volunteers and most of them are seniors, like myself. We all like what we do and I think that it's obvious, to the museum's daily visitors.

In one shift, we can get visitors for several different countries. Just last week, I had folks from New Zealand and a couple from Norway. As volunteers, we are asked quite a few questions about the artifacts and exhibits. We answer what we can and all of us are fairly adept at locating where the answers to those questions might be found. And, the most frequently asked question is ......Where are the closest restrooms?

Every volunteer has a favorite exhibit, artifact or volunteer station. My favorite spot, at the present, is what is informally referred to as "The Poppy Bridge". Just inside the entrance to the museum is a glass walkway that covers a replica battlefield. The battlefield is bare soil, churned up by the shells and large artillery pieces, that were used on the Western Front (farms land and small towns in France and Belgium). But, on that barren land are 9,000 artificial red poppies. Each poppy is placed in remembrance of 1,000 combatant lives lost. We tell folks that those 9,000,000 dead soldiers are remembered by those poppies. The Red Poppy is the official symbol of WWI. 

In 1915, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrea wrote a poem "In Flanders Fields". We give out copies of the poem to our visitors. This year, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary, of our original museum buildings. And, just recently a new, permanent exhibit, is being featured, which explains how and why this great facility is located in Kansas City. Come visit, please.  .......................................................................................................................................................... 

                                                                In Flanders Fields

 In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high.

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.