Sunday, December 7, 2008

Pearl Harbor Remembered





When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrow, these gave their today.

Went the day well? We died and never knew,
But, well or ill, freedom, we died for you.'

(A translation of the poem by Simonides (557-476BC) written to commemorate the three hundred who fell at Thermopylae (480BC)
The second verse also occurs in the anonymous poem of the Battle of Britain:
'Sweeping squadrons filled the summer sky,
White trails across a brilliant blue,
We met head on five miles high,
There were so many, we were few.

Went the day well? We died and never knew,
But, well or ill, freedom, we died for you.
And left the vivid air signed with our honour,
And now, do you remember us
They called The Few?

We need to know that we are not alone,
That here and now our sacrifice is known,
And we are not forgotten.'

2 comments:

Pamela said...

a sadness.

here is my Pearl Harbor post two years ago today.

I thought about reposting it.

Sandy said...

Thanks for the poetry. How devestatingly correct and repetitious.

How sad.