Evoking memories and emotions of war, the red poppy has been a symbol of the defense of freedom since the publication of a poem by Colonel John McCrae. The poem, “In Flander’s Field” was written by the Canadian McCrae about the fields of poppies growing among a World War I battlefield.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) was the first veterans organization to adopt the poppy and develop a national distribution campaign. However, the campaign got its start across the Atlantic Ocean and was originally used to raise funds to assist the people of France, after World War I devastated their country. Madame E. Guerin, founder of the American and French Children’s League, was inspired by McCrae’s poem and in an effort to remind the world of its losses, decided that the poppy would be a fitting memorial flower. She began to attend conventions and programs promoting the idea that every member – and their families – should wear a silk red poppy. Veterans organizations and their auxiliaries of France and other allies began selling the memorial poppies for the benefit of French children.
Madame Guerin arrived in the United States on other business, and while there she approached the American Legion and then the Veterans of Foreign Wars about sponsoring the poppy program. In May 1922, the VFW conducted the first nationwide distribution of poppies in the United States and adopted the poppy as the official memorial flower in August 1922.
Due to difficulties obtaining poppies, the VFW developed a plan to pay disabled and needy American veterans to make the poppies. Once the plan was approved, a VFW poppy factory was set up in Pittsburgh, Pa and the production of the poppies commenced. These workers often spend time remembering their war buddies that never came home, and eventually the name “Buddy Poppy” stuck and was registered in 1924. Eventually, the production of the poppies spread to other areas and they are currently assembled in VA hospitals across the US.
The VFW Buddy Poppy program provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home For Children. Photo courtesy VFW.
