Poppy Program
Today we recognize National Poppy day on the Friday before Memorial Day. Each year poppies are sold to raise money for Veterans in need.
History
History
In 1918 University of Georgia professor Moina Michael vowed to wear the red poppy after being moved by the poem “In Flanders Fields”. In 1920 She convinced Georgia’s chapter of the American Legion to adopt the poppy and on September 27, 1920 it officially became the national emblem although it dates back to World War I.
Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian physician, wrote the poem “in Flanders Fields” on May 3, 1915 after 87,000 allied soldiers lost their lives during the battle. It refers to the red poppies that grew over the graves of the fallen soldiers.
The poppy is known for its resilience. It has the ability to grow in the harshest conditions such as those on the battlefields in Belgium.
Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae