John McCrae

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) was a Canadian poet, doctor, artist, and soldier during World War I. He worked as a doctor during the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium.

He is best known for writing the famous poem "In Flanders Fields". His poem helped people remember those who fought and died in the war.

McCrae died of pneumonia near the end of the war, but his poem is still remembered and shared to honor brave soldiers everywhere.

Biography

John McCrae was born in McCrae House in Guelph, Ontario. His father served with the Guelph Home Guard and was part of the Guelph city council.

McCrae went to the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute and later earned a scholarship to the University of Toronto. He studied medicine and graduated in 1898. He worked at hospitals in Toronto and Baltimore before becoming a professor at the University of Vermont and teaching at McGill University in Montreal.

During World War I, McCrae served as a doctor and wrote the famous poem "In Flanders Fields." He passed away from pneumonia near the end of the war.

Early military service

John McCrae's father was a soldier who helped lead a local army group. John joined this group when he was young, first as a messenger and later as a soldier. He also joined a youth group when he was just 14 years old and won an award for being the best in his area.

Later, John volunteered to fight in a faraway war. He served as an officer and took part in several battles. After returning home, he was given a special medal for his brave service. He continued to work with the army in different roles before taking a break from active duty a few years later.

First World War

When Britain went to war with Germany in 1914 because Germany had invaded Belgium, Canada was also at war. John McCrae, who was 41 years old, joined the army. He became a doctor and leader in the Canadian Field Artillery. He helped care for soldiers who were hurt during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915.

During the battle, McCrae's friend was lost, and this made him write the famous poem "In Flanders Fields". The poem was shared in 1915 and became very well-known. It helped people understand the importance of supporting the war effort. Sadly, McCrae passed away from an illness in 1918 while still serving as a doctor in France. He was honored with a special funeral.

"In Flanders Fields"

Main article: In Flanders Fields

After John McCrae passed away, a book of his poems called In Flanders Fields and Other Poems was published in 1918.

In Flanders Fields
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.

— John McCrae

Many believe McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields" on May 3, 1915, the day after his friend Lieutenant Alexis Helmer passed away during the Second Battle of Ypres. He wrote the poem while sitting in a medical vehicle near Essex Farm, just north of Ypres. The poppy, a flower that grew in large numbers on the battlefields, is important in the poem.

The Canadian government built a memorial for John McCrae that includes "In Flanders Fields" at the site of the medical station next to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Essex Farm Cemetery. The Belgian government named this place the "John McCrae Memorial Site".

Legacy

The Canadian Medical Association gives out an award called the John McCrae Memorial Medal to a health services member of the Canadian Armed Forces for excellent service.

McCrae was named a Person of National Historic Significance in 1946.

In 1918, John Philip Sousa made music for a poem by McCrae called "In Flanders Fields, the poppies grow."

The city of Ypres in Belgium has a war museum named after McCrae's famous poem, called the "In Flanders Fields Museum." There is also a photograph and a small memorial for McCrae in a church in Ypres. In 2007, a special event was held to remember when he wrote his well-known poem.

Several schools are named after McCrae, including John McCrae Public School in Guelph, John McCrae Public School in Markham, John McCrae Senior Public School in Toronto, and John McCrae Secondary School in Ottawa.

A bronze plaque in memory of McCrae was placed at the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute.

McCrae House has been turned into a museum. The Canadian War Museum has a special gallery named after him called The Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae Gallery.

In 2015, a statue of McCrae was placed on Green Island (Rideau River) in Ottawa, Ontario. The statue shows him as an officer with his medical bag nearby, writing with poppies at his feet. A copy of this statue was placed at the Guelph Civic Museum in Guelph in 2015.

A street near where McCrae is buried is named after him, called "Rue Mac Crae."

Mount McCrae in British Columbia is named for him.^: 167

Notes and references

The article has references and books about John McCrae and his famous poem. These books were written by Briton Cooper Busch, Tonie and Valmai Holt, John Peddie, and J F Prescott. They give more information about McCrae's life and his work during World War I.