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Thank you to Linda Austerberry for making us aware of this beautiful and thought provoking post by Levengood's Flowers:
"In honor of the fallen, we've planted our field with poppies to bloom just in time for Memorial Day. Feel free to come visit the field to reflect upon their sacrifices. You're welcome to take photos. If you do, please tag us and share your stories of remembrance."
[Photos by Levengood's Flowers.]
With the help of AI, we would like to share the history of the poppy's evolution as a "symbol of military remembrance":
"The Memorial Day poppy tradition originates from the WWI poem, 'In Flanders Fields,' written by Canadian physician Lt. Col. John McCrae.
"Moved by the bright red flowers blooming over the graves of fallen soldiers, his poem inspired American humanitarian Moina Michael to champion the red poppy as a universal symbol of military remembrance. The poppy's journey to becoming an official emblem of sacrifice spans several decades:
- 1915: Following the Second Battle of Ypres, Lt. Col. John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields" after observing how resilient red poppies thrived in the churned-up, lime-enriched soil of war-torn Belgium.
- 1918: Inspired by McCrae's words, Moina Michael wrote a responding poem pledging to always wear a red poppy to honor the war dead. She successfully campaigned for the poppy to be adopted as a national symbol of remembrance.
- 1920: The poppy was officially adopted as the memorial flower of The American Legion.
- 1922: The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) began a nationwide distribution of poppies, later adopting the "Buddy Poppy," which are still assembled by disabled and veteran patients in VA hospitals today.
- National Poppy Day: Spearheaded by the American Legion Auxiliary, Congress designated the Friday before Memorial Day as National Poppy Day, encouraging Americans to wear the flower to honor the fallen and support living veterans."
More News from Boyertown
- May 21: One-a-Day: Flowers--Nature's Eye Candy In spring, the blossoms of my Kousa dogwood blanket its branches in white.
- Title 1 Night: A Knight of Wonder Interactive program at Middle School West makes science fun for students and their families.
