In Flander's Fields
John McCrae was a Canadian who was appointed as Medical Officer and Major of the 1st Brigade (Canadian Field Artillery) during World War I. He treated wounded during the war in different parts of France. McCrae is most famous for the poem, “In Flanders Fields”. The most commonly held belief is that McCrae wrote the poem on May 3, 1915, the day after presiding over the funeral and burial of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who had been killed during the Second Battle of Ypres. Although this part of the history of WWI has nothing to do with Fallon County in particular, an alumni of Baker High School sent in a Canadian postage stamp marking the 50th Anniversary of the poem. The stamp was issued in 1968 and is the 487th stamp issued by Canada. The alumni also sent in a stamp from England with a picture of George V who was the king of England during WWI. The stamp was issued in 1912 and is the 161st stamp issued by the country of England.
Credits: Nathan Hufford
Citations:
Prescott, John F. (1985), In Flanders Fields: The Story of John McCrae, Erin, Ontario: Boston Mills Press.