Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae ( November 30 , 1872 â `` January 28 , 1918 ) was a Canadian poet and soldier in World War I who is best known for writing the poem `` In Flanders Fields '' after seeing the death of his friend the day before . Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae ( November 30 , 1872 -- January 28 , 1918 ) was a Canadian poet , physician , author , artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres . He is best known for writing the famous war memorial poem `` In Flanders Fields '' .