The Buddy Poppy: Have We Forgotten?

When I was just a youngster I went to the store with my father one weekend. Standing outside, was - what looked like and older soldier, holding a bouquet of red flowers in one hand and a canister in the other. Without a word said, my father put 25 cents into the canister, (what I thought was a lot of money at that time), and the Soldier smiled, handed him a flower and said Thank you very much. On the way home I asked Dad what that was all about. I’d like to pass that information along again so you may tell your sons or daughters and keep this program from being forgotten.

It was a warm day in early May 1915. A Canadian soldier by the name of John McCrae, who was serving in Belgium, noticed how the red poppies had sprung up in the disturbed ground of the burials around the artillery position he was in.

He is believed to have composed a poem following the death of a friend at that time.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; Be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Moina Michael (also known as the poppy lady) happened to read that poem on November 9^th 1918, two days before the armistice was declared, and at that moment made a personal pledge to “Keep the Faith.” She wrote her own poem entitled – “We Shall Keep the Faith”. The first verse reads:

Oh! You who sleep in Flanders fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the faith
With, all who died.

Moina diligently campaigned to have the Poppy emblem adopted in the United States as a National memorial symbol. On September 29^th 1920, the American Legion agreed on the use of the Flanders fields Memorial Poppy as the United States National emblem of remembrance. 

In 1924, the VFW started manufacturing the poppy, using disabled Vets as a way of giving back a purpose and a small stipend to them. The name “Buddy Poppy” was registered by the VFW as a U.S. patent.

Since the 1920’s the Buddy Poppy program has continued to raise money for the welfare and support of Veterans and their dependants. They are still made by disabled Veterans and distributed by the Proud Veterans you see in front of local establishments prior to Memorial Day and possibly Veterans Day. Although each organizations poppy’s have their own name, the meaning is still the same.

Many of us, now in their 60’s – 70’s and early 80’s are starting to see people forget why we are out soliciting to help our fellow Veterans and their family’s who are in need. Every penny collected is dedicated to this cause and our books are open for anyone to look at. We still ‘Hold the Torch’ and ‘Keep the faith’. 

Please pass this along to our future generations so they may never forget why we still support our Men and Women in the Armed Forces who have made and are still making sacrifices for their country. 

Gary Bublitz
VFW Post 9948 Sturtevant