2 Wednesday, November 11, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Veterans Day HONORING ALL WHO SERVED In Flanders Fields John McCrae ~ 1872-1918 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. Sisters Weather Forecast Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Partly Cloudy PM Showers Rain Rain/Snow Showers Rain/Snow Rain/Snow Showers 43/24 45/34 44/35 42/32 48/34 46/32 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC Website: www.nuggetnews.com 442 E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, Oregon 97759 Tel: 541-549-9941 | Email: editor@nuggetnews.com Postmaster: Send address changes to The Nugget Newspaper, P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759. Third Class Postage Paid at Sisters, Oregon. Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius Production Manager: Leith Easterling Creative Director: Jess Draper Community Marketing Partner: Vicki Curlett Classifieds & Circulation: Lisa May Owner: J. Louis Mullen The Nugget is mailed to residents within the Sisters School District; subscriptions are available outside delivery area. Third-class postage: one year, $55; six months (or less), $30. First-class postage: one year, $95; six months, $65. Published Weekly. ©2020 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is pro- hibited. All advertising which appears in The Nugget is the property of The Nugget and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. assumes no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements, articles, stories, lists, calendar etc. within this publication. All submissions to The Nugget Newspaper will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and subject to The Nugget Newspaper’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially, that all rights are currently available, and that the material in no way infringes upon the rights of any person. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photos, or manuscripts. Veterans Day, responsibility and sacrifice By James Cunningham Brigadier General (retired), USAF On this Veterans Day I might be expected to focus on the many sacrifices military members have delivered while perform- ing services to our nation. We expect, sometimes as a matter of fact, sacrifice to be part and parcel of their mission. We expect them to step forward in our stead to be delivered up into harm9s way. We send our best, our brightest, our youngest, and our poorest forward to defend this nation. Evidence of their commitment, their sacrifice, has been left in the fields of Gettysburg, in trenches of France, on the beaches of Normandy, in the jungles of South East Asia, and most recently in the streets of Baghdad. They have never failed to respond when called to carry our colors. However, how often do we consider our responsi- bility to sacrifice so that our military is able to pursue our interests, often under extreme conditions? Today many people use this holi- day as a vehicle to usher in the winter season and get ready for the holidays. Little thought is given to the day9s true meaning. For me the meaning and importance of this day can be found in the lines of a poem written by a Canadian army captain serving in a small field hospital near Flanders, Belgium in 1915. He stepped outside the con- fines of the hospital and gazed upon the disheveled countryside littered with freshly covered graves of so many soldiers and within five minutes scribbled down the now famous words of <In Flanders Fields.= The last verse, reads, <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 G r o w, i n F l a n d e r s Fields.= The verse clearly expresses the tragic human experience and conse- quences of bitter conflict and the price often paid by those, who step forward to defend a nation9s way of life. The verse is often omitted when read in pub- lic because it suggests a controversial demand to uphold the honor of the fallen. I, however, see the fallen soldiers calling me to remember my duty to take personal responsibility to sacrifice, to do my part to ensure that my country9s liberties, its values, and its mores remain intact for all to enjoy. In doing so I affirm the tenant that freedom9s price is eternal vigilance; that it is every citizen9s civic respon- sibility to sacrifice, to main- tain our liberties through proactive engagement with our communities, state, and nation. It9s not important how we assume this responsibil- ity, only that we do accept the responsibility. I, and many fellow Oregonians, choose to take responsibil- ity by serving in the armed forces. We serve our nation, states, and communities in times of war, in times of natural disaster, and civil strife. Others may choose a dif- ferent path to follow in an effort to sustain our liber- ties. It matters not what path is taken only that we make the conscious decision to take the steps and stay the course. Thomas Paine wrote, <Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.= The vet- eran has chosen to fight to secure freedom, however its maintenance is a shared community responsibility in which every citizen must participate. We must personally sacrifice, by engaging in and supporting community activities if we are to main- tain our freedoms. In light of this country9s current circumstances I believe it9s time for everyone to make a commitment to take per- sonal responsibility, make sacrifices to help develop our communities9 health and sustain their well-being. In doing so we take up the quarrel with the foe, the foe of indifference, the foe of ignorance, the foe of apa- thy and neglect. In effect we take up the torch dropped on Flanders Fields, dropped on the sands of Iwo Jima, dropped in the jungles of Vietnam and in the deserts of Iraq by those who gave their full measure so that we should remain free. If we accept the mantle of responsibility and sacri- fice just a little, the fallen will continue to sleep where poppies grow.