What happened to the Poppies?

[Owen]

My wife asks me, Why don't we see the red poppies around Veterans Day like we used to?

Well???

 

I was a little embarrassed I did not know. Although I'm sure they are usually around on Memorial Day rather than Verterans Day.

Here is what we found out.

Thanks Margaret for asking!

 

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.

 

This was the poem written by World War I Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada's First Brigade Artillery. It expressed McCrae's grief over the "row on row" of graves of soldiers who had died on Flanders' battlefields, located in a region of western Belgium and northern France. The poem presented a striking image of the bright red flowers blooming among the rows of white crosses and became a rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War. The first printed version of it reportedly was in December 1915, in the British magazine Punch.

 

McCrae's poem had a huge impact on two women, Anna E. Guerin of France and Georgia native Moina Michael. Both worked hard to initiate the sale of artificial poppies to help orphans and others left destitute by the war. By 1920, when Guerin, with the help of the American Legion, established the first poppy sale in the U.S., the flower was well known in the allied countries — America, Britain, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — as the "Flower of Remembrance." Proceeds from that first sale went to the American and French Children's League.

 

Guerin had troubles with the distribution of the poppies in early 1922 and sought out Michael for help. Michael had started a smaller-scaled Poppy Day during a YMCA conference she was attending in New York and wanted to use the poppies as a symbol of remembrance of the war. Guerin, called the "Poppy Lady of France" in her homeland, and Michael, later dubbed "The Poppy Princess" by the Georgia legislature, went to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for help.

 

The poppy was adopted as the official memorial flower of the VFW at its national convention in Seattle, Wash., in August 1922, following the first nationwide distribution of poppies ever conducted by any veterans organization.

 

In 1923, faced by a shortage of poppies from French manufacturers, the VFW relied on New York florists to make up the difference. This was a huge setback, however, and led to the idea by VFW officials to use unemployed and disabled veterans to produce the artificial flower. This concept was approved in late 1923 and the first poppy factory was built in Pittsburgh, Pa., in 1924. This provided a practical means of assistance to veterans and also ensured a steady, reliable source of poppies. Veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and veterans homes help assemble the poppies, and each year the VFW distributes roughly 14 million worldwide.

 

It was around the same time the first poppy factory was built that the VFW registered the name "Buddy Poppy" with the U.S. Patent Office. The term "Buddy" was coined by the poppy makers as a tribute to their comrades who did not come home from the war or who were scarred and crippled for life.

 

The VFW celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Buddy Poppy as its official flower in 1997. While profits from its sales have helped countless veterans and their widows, widowers and orphans over the years, the poppy itself survives as a perpetual tribute to those who have given their lives for the nation's freedom.

 

[Venturous Randy]

I usually have a couple of "buddy poppies" hanging from the mirror on my cars. I will always make a stop at the guys giving them out and contribute. It is for a really good cause.

Thanks for posting this Owen.

RandyA

[eagleeye]

Thanks for posting that Owen,

I never knew the origin of the poppies, and I also usually have poppies on my mirrors and on my leather jacket.

 

Steve

[Kregerdoodle]

Thanks for sharing Owen, had no clue what the meening of the Poppy was...

 

Kreg

[Sailor]

I have long been involved in the Royal Canadian Legion. 29 years as a member, 12 years on the executive, three years as president of our branch.The poppies are everywhere in Canada. The rights to the poppy are owned by the War veterans Assn. The Legion distributes them and collects donations on behalf of the war veterans. We hold the money in trust. The Legion gets none of the money. We are allowed to distribute the money on their behalf. It first goes to veterans in need, second to descendants of veterans in need, third to bursaries for descendants of veterans to aid in schooling, fourth to care for the elderly. All money collected each year must be disbursed in that year. If there is money left over at the end of the year it may be used for the benefit of the community. In our area we have bought equipment for the hospital, volunteer fire department, volunteer ambulance service, elder care, etc.

All other money raised by the Legion goes to school programs, local charities and care for the elderly. On our small island we usually raise about $14,000.00 with the poppies and another $25,000.00 through our meat draws.

 

I have been tagged to make a speech to the school kids this year ( didn't hide fast enough) I was told to keep it short and make it relate to them. This is this years speech.

 

Tommorow is Remembrance Day. It is a day when we remember and honor those who fought for our freedom. Many died. Many came home damaged physically, mentally or emotionally. Most of these were young people. Their average age was 20 to 22. Can you imagine graduating high school and a year later instead of having a job or going to university, having a girlfriend and going to parties, you are flying bombers or fighters, manning machine guns or driving tanks while the enemy tries to kill you? Imagine being a sailor in the merchant marine. They had almost no weapons or defenses, they knew they were going to be attacked yet they sailed anyway, bringing vital supplies to Europe. That is what these people did. They were ordinary people, like you or I, who did an extraordinary job. There was an evil force which wanted to impose their will on the rest of the world. They wanted to impose genocide, mass murder, racism, slavery and blind obedience on everyone. The people we remember and honor tomorrow said "NO! Those are no part of OUR world!" They laid down their future and took up arms that we would have a future.

For that we owe them our thanks. The poppy is one symbol of our thanks.

Tomorrow we honor and remember them and we must never forget them.

 

K. Butler

[AKRefugee]

Sailor

 

Thank You. I hope all that hear that do so with open and grateful hearts.

[midnite]

Our most sincere and heart felt Thank You to all the veterans on this site,and around the world. Without the sacrafise of men and women of the armed surfaces the world would be a very different place.

[eusa1]

OWEN,

 

Thank you!!

been a long time since i have read this poem.

my great aunt grace gave a copy of this poem when i was about 5 years old, and asked me to keep the onion paper poem safe.

i still have that poem on the original onion paper 39 years later.

probably the only thing i ever kept that long. thanks again

mike

[Stanman]

I have heard that unfortunately in some areas the donation boxes set out by Legion members for the sale of poppies are being stolen. SHAME on the individuals responsible for these acts. They obviously have no respect for the great people that gave up their lives so we all have the freedom they take for granted!!

[Aussie Annie]

Members of the RSL clubs here volunteer to sell poppies on the Friday before Rememberance Day As a member I have done this most years at our local shopping centre.

 

REMEMBERANCE DAY: 11th hour--11th day--11th month *******"TOMORROW" *******

 

....................................Lest We Forget........................................