Wrong line to take on poignant war poem

I TRULY believe that John Ellwood (The Yorkshire Post, November 13) is indeed in a minority of one in condemning the words of the Laurence Binyon poem To the Fallen.

This is the fourth stanza of a very meaningful and thought- provoking poem. It is, as we all are aware, the exhortation used, not only in this country, but worldwide, to acknowledge the sacrifice made by those men, and women, in that first great international conflict.

It is indeed as poignant today about the men and women who have lost their lives over the years since it was written during the First World War as it was then. If Mr Ellwood bothers to educate himself to a higher standard, he should perhaps read the full poem before he makes criticisms. Four lines taken out of context do not fulfil the true meaning of the poem.

I have this year had the privilege to be in the company of D-Day veterans in Normandy and Market Garden veterans in Arnhem. I, along with them, have visited the graves of many of their dead colleagues and they all without exception call their dead colleagues the brave and themselves the lucky survivors.

Please if you must criticise anyone, criticise the politicians who start the wars in the first place.