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Poppy sale begins May 1
(by Kathryn A. Burger - April 29, 2008)
The connection between red poppies and ’s casualties of war was forged with a poem written in 1915 by a Canadian, John McCrea, M.D., who served in the Canadian Army in World War I. While stationed in the Ypres Salient in during the very worst of the battle, he spent 17 days treating injured men in the field. At 43, he had been a doctor for years and had already served in the South African War. But accounts of his service in and his own writings indicate that those 17 days were the most horrific he had ever experienced.
He was inspired to write “In Flanders Field” after the death of a young friend who was killed by a shell burst. He had presided at the funeral ceremony (there was no chaplain available), and the following day, while sitting near the Yser Canal, he gazed at the nearby cemetery where his friend had been laid to rest and saw the wild poppies that grow in ditches in that part of the country. Finding an outlet for his grief, he wrote the now-famous poem in 20 minutes.
The poem was published in December of 1915 in Punch magazine.
According to the American Legion Auxiliary, the poppy became a memorial symbol of ’s war dead. Veterans returning home recalled the poppies that had grown and thrived in the battlefields of . McCrea’s poem and the veterans’ memory of the flowers melded and the poppy has been a symbol of honored remembrance of those who gave their lives in the service of their country.
Each May, American Legion Auxiliary volunteers across the country distribute millions of red paper poppies in exchange for donations to assist disabled and hospitalized veterans in their local communities.
American Legion Post 206 members as well as the auxiliary will be devoting themselves to poppy sales during the month of May. Aurelia Kelly, the president of Post 206’s auxiliary said, “This is really our only fundraiser all year. We use the funds to support the programs we provide at the Veterans’ Home in Paramus and to support local service personnel overseas.”
She also noted that each post has a “territory” in which to distribute the poppies, usually the municipality in which they are located. Some posts draw members from several towns and those would constitute that post’s territory. This is done so that all participating posts have an equal opportunity to raise funds for their work. It is important to recognize, she said, that donations go directly to the post represented by the member distributing the poppies and not to a regional or national organization that in turn distributes funds back to the posts.
Kathy Dungan, the American Legion Auxiliary national organization’s poppy chair, said, “The poppy has become a worldwide recognized symbol of sacrifice and is worn by our auxiliary members to honor the men and women who served and died for their country, in all wars, including the Global War on Terror. The poppy should remind communities and this nation of the sacrifices and continuing needs of our veterans and service members.”
Post 206 Auxiliary and post members will be distributing poppies in front of K-Mart and at a number of other locations in the borough throughout the month of May.
Kathryn A. Burger's e-mail address is burger@northjersey.com.
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