Saint Crispin’s Day [Readers Post]

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KING HENRY V
What’s he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark’d to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian:’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s day.’
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember’d.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

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To the breach and glory!!!!!!!!

Thank you, James. A year or two ago Old Trooper used this same poem in commentary. Although, I appreciate poetry, I had no idea that such a valiant and noble warrior like OT would appreciate and know this poem. I admired the man even more, for while we carry the colors in front of a keyboard and monitor, that man faced many of the enemies of our way of life in a struggle of mortal combat. Even though he was one of untold millions, he represented to me, the epitome of the American Patriot and whether he is on another desperate mission or in isolation on his ranch, he will be that same man to me. I salute OT and all our warriors past and present. May God reach out to them all.

Someone told me that the Flag Day Speech from the movie, The Sand Pebbles, was inspired by this Saint Crispin’s Day speech.

Here it is:

Today we begin cruising to show the flag on Tungting Lake and the Hunan Rivers.
I want all honors rendered smartly.

At home in America, when today reaches them it will be Flag Day.
For us who
wear the uniform every day is Flag Day.

It is said that there will be no more wars.
We must pretend to believe that.
But when war comes, it is we who will take the first shock, and buy time with
our lives.
It is we who keep the Faith…

We serve the Flag.
The trade we all follow is the give and take of death.
It is for that purpose that the people of America maintain us.

And anyone of
us who believes he has a job like any other,
for which he draws a money wage,
is a thief of the food he eats,
and a trespasser in the bunk
in which he lies
down to sleep.

Happy St. Crispin’s Day!

Many movies, from Independence Day to Braveheart…. even Immortals seems to have one in its trailer, have a “St. Crispins” type speech. None of them top the Bard!

Ahhh; Band of Brothers, love it!
Is there a lesson here…..?