Friday, May 28, 2010

Don't Forget The Red Poppy...!


Here is a bit of history about the custom of using the Red Poppy to mark Memorial Day!

Once again, I found this bit of information in the pages of the Old Farmer's Almanac. Very appropriate, and I'm not sure if many are familiar with this small piece of American history!

Red Poppies and Peace

Since World War I, poppies have been a symbol of remembrance at Memorial Day (May 31). The red poppy was used to symbolize the blood of those who died in service to their countries.

The idea started in 1918 when American Moina Michael read the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written by Canadian John McCrae in 1915 during World War I. She began wearing poppies and selling them to others, using the proceeds to help veterans.

After World War I, veterans sold artificial red poppies to help raise money for French and Belgian war orphans. Today, donations to veterans’ groups are often marked with a token paper red poppy.


Just a little something that I wanted to share!

Now, how about some fresh coffee on the patio? Looks like a nice day for it!

19 comments:

DianeLynn said...

You bet...got mine! Peace Out!

HermitJim said...

Hey Diane-Sage...
Good for you, my friend! Good for you!

Thank you for coming by today!

Anonymous said...

Have a great weekend HermitJim - thanks to you and all the others for services done for our country.

Baby Sis said...

Got mine, Bubba, bought from a little old veteran sitting at a card table outside the General Store in Brenham, TX several years ago. Also wearing my flag lapel pin (Obam-bah!) and my USO bracelet. Outward symbols, yes, but reminders to mewhen I look down and see them, and indicators that while I might not agree with the present PTB, I am still a patriotic American.

Maybe see you tomorrow - see if I get any cookies baked......

Big hugs, and thanks.

Ben in Texas said...

Yep, I remember my Mother and her sister making up big bundles of the red poppies to hand out on Memorial Day . Guess I had to be a real small kid, about 3 or so, so it was about 1949.
Daddy served his time in the European Theater as navigator in B-24s bombing hell out of Italy and Germany!

Never Forget!!

Unknown said...

I have 8 artificial red poppies but will buy another if a seller of one crosses my path. Did you know that Georgetown,Tx. is te red poppy capital of the U.S. of A.?

HermitJim said...

Hey Anon 7:08...
I appreciate the kind thoughts, but there are others much more deserving that gave so much more than I.

Most of us just did what we knew was the right thing! However, I will join you in thanking all of the men and women that did their part to flag and country, what ever the reasons.

Thank you so much for coming by today!


Hey Sis...
Outwar symbols are very good to show others that we understand are thankful for all that has been done for us in the past...and is being done now in the present!

Many of us are still very patriotic, despite our objections of actions of the present actions being carried out by the PTB.

It would be good to see you, if you get the chance to come over! I know Mom would enjoy it!

Thanks for the visit!


Hey Ben...
I think that people did that sort of thing a lot more than they do today! Funny how some memories stay with us, isn't it?

My friend, I really appreciate you coming by today!


Hey Big Sis...
Sure is good to have you drop by today! I don't get a chance to see you very often anymore!

Can't ever have too many red poppies, I'm thinking!Just helps to show we remember!

hey, you know that I sure do thank you for coming by today!

Mechanic in Illinois said...

We must never forget those that paid for our freedom with their blood. We stand free today because of them. I already have 12 poppies to hand out to people that have forgotten. Thanks for another great lesson.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mechanic...
You are s right, my friend! So right!

Only by remembering the past can we keep from repeating it!

I think it's time we brought the troops back home and greeted them with a "Thank you...and welcome home!" Just my opinion!

thanks so much for coming by today!

Stephanie in AR said...

I had wondered it anyone still did the Poppies. Every year I made sure to donate and get at least one poppy but lately there hasn't been anyone anywhere with poppies - not even at the local Arkansas based big box store. Thought maybe the fund raiser had moved. Guess I'll look a bit harder.

We put ours on the rearview mirror and the purse strap.

HermitJim said...

Hey Stephanie...
You still see them around once in a while...but like I told Ben, folks don't do that sort of thing as much as they used to!

Sad to see that, in a way...but I guess that many things are changing and not all for the better!

Hey, thanks for the visit today!

Gwen said...

Another lovely post, HJ. And thanks for your service to our country! I wrote a post with a link back to your Red Poppy entry, and wanted to ask permission to publish it first, but my attempt to delay my post was unsuccessful and it's already out there. Will you please let me know if I have permission to link back to your blog so I can put it back out there? Thank you, Jim, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

HermitJim said...

Hey Ginger...
Feel free to link to or re-post anything I write on my blog! I put it out there for everyone to share...and I certainly don't mind a bit!

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and that the weather holds good for you!

Thanks for coming by today, my friend!

Ken said...

...don't see'em much these days!?,just like most other 'patriotic traditions'...generations have been dumbed down to facilitate the removal of anything "Patriotic"...

...GodBlessTheWarriorsPastAndPresent.

HermitJim said...

Hey Ken...
How true you are about some of the patriotic traditions being slowly removed from the minds of the younger generations!

sad to see it happen...but we can try to keep them alive as best we can!

Thanks for oming by today!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Didn´t know that! We don´t have memoriel day over here. I think the lsat war we were a part of was 1814 against Napoleon.

Sorry that I haven´t been here in a while, but the lightning took my old computor :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

HermitJim said...

Hey Christer...
Good to see you again! I was wondering where you were!

Sorry to hear about the old 'puter biting the dust, but I am really glad you managed to come by today!

Good for you folks over there...managing to stay out of war that long! Wish it were the same here, but that seems to be a favorite past time of some of our leaders.

Again, thanks for coming by today!

Lynnanne said...

Hey Hermit,

What a ka-winkee-dink that you've written about the Red Poppy. I did a quick bit of research on it for a short-short article I wrote for a local newspaper column.

Hope you don't mind me sharing a bit more information about them, however, keep in mind I do suffer from CRS (can't remember sh!t). Learning the history of the Red Poppy has fascinated me -- While I have donated throughout the years for a poppy, I had no idea the symbolic treasure I held in my hands.

It seems the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) holds the copyright to the official red poppies, and all of their poppies will have a "Buddy" tag on them as well as VFW. (Buddy for those "buddies" that will never return home). Donations for their poppies are used for disabled veterans and orphans of vets, etc. I believe I also read where the vets are the ones who make these poppies.

I ran across the response verse Moina Michael wrote after she read "In Flanders Field."

“We cherish too, the Poppy red / That grows on fields were valor led, / It seems to signal to the skies / That blood of heroes never dies.”

That last line is simply heart-wrenching.

HermitJim said...

Hey Acorn...
I guess it's true that gret minds think alike!

I'm grateful for the additional information about the poppy! Many folks didn't know all this, some of it I didn't even know!

Maybe if we continue to work at it...more and more people will remember the important things!

Thanks so much for coming by!