...honor the fallen and support the living.”
Today is National Poppy Day
The American Legion Memorial Day Poppy Drive is one of the most recognizable patriotic and veterans-support traditions in the United States. This year, members of The Georgetown Rene J. Gagnon American Legion Post #211 distribute small red paper poppies in exchange for voluntary donations. The Post #211 drive will be Saturday, 23 May, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance after John McCrae wrote the famous World War I poem In Flanders Fields. The poem described poppies growing among the graves of fallen soldiers in Belgium. The flower came to represent sacrifice, remembrance, and the blood shed by those who died in military service.
The American Legion adopted the poppy as its official memorial flower in the early 1920s. Since then, the annual Poppy Drive has served several purposes:
- Honoring military personnel who died in service to the nation
- Educating the public about the meaning of Memorial Day
- Raising funds to assist veterans, active-duty service members, and their families
- Supporting rehabilitation and veterans assistance programs
In case you weren't aware, the paper poppies are assembled by disabled or hospitalized veterans as part of therapeutic work programs through the American Legion Auxiliary. Donations collected during the drive are generally retained locally and used for veteran assistance efforts within the community and state.
The poppy is not sold at a fixed price. Instead, it is offered in exchange for a voluntary contribution. Wearing one is considered a visible sign of remembrance and respect for those who gave their lives in defense of the country.
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