National Poppy Day – Friday, May 26
The American Legion Family is launching National Poppy Day, Friday, May 26, as a way to honor U.S. service members from the battlefields of France in WWI, a century ago, to today’s global war on terrorism.
After WWI, the poppy flourished in Europe and quickly became a symbol of the sacrifices made by Americans and allied service members around the world. Soldiers returning from WWI brought home the flowers in memory of the barren landscape transformed by the sudden growth of wild red poppies among the newly dug graves – unforgettably described in a memorial poem by Canadian Lt. Col. John McCrae:
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
National Poppy Day broadens a tradition that dates back to the early 1920’s when the red poppy was adopted as the American Legion Family’s memorial flower. Today, it remains an iconic symbol of honor for the sacrifice of our veterans. ALA members distribute millions of poppies annually across the country in exchange for donations that go directly to assist disabled and hospitalized veterans in our communities.
All Americans are encouraged to wear or display poppies on National Poppy Day in memory of the fallen and to honor those who have fought for freedom. In Fowlerville, poppies will be available in the community on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 25, 26 and 27. Watch for the auxiliary representatives. Please proudly wear your poppy to your local Memorial Parade and to Memorial Day events.
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