Some say that poppies are one of the most resilient flowers. While their seeds scatter in the wind to sit dormant on the ground for sometimes years at a time, it is only when the ground is disturbed that they ultimately grow. 

This is exactly what happened after the brutal fighting which took place during the First World War.

It was because of those swaths of poppies birthed from the disturbed battlefield soil that inspiration took hold in John McCrae who went on to write his famous poem, 'In Flanders Fields' in 1915. This poem is what many consider to be the spark from which the tradition of the red flowers came to be. 

While McCrae died of pneumonia 3 years later in 1918, it is the words of his poem along with its poignant message that continue to live on today.

The 'Buddy Poppy' is Born 

In 1922, Alice Smith–  a New Jersey florist with a passion for honoring and remembering the men lost in WW1; later nicknamed 'The Poppy Lady' – turned to the VFW with an idea that would change remembrance forever. With her help, the VFW brought nationwide distribution of poppies in connection with Memorial Day. Shortly thereafter, the poppy was officially adopted as the memorial flower of the VFW.

As the need for more poppies grew in 1923, a business began in which disabled and needy veterans came together to assemble the poppies from a location in Pittsburgh. It was there that the veterans coined the now-popular name, 'Buddy Poppy;' a term in remembrance of the many buddies who never returned home from the war. 

Now assembled in many locations throughout the U.S, the funds these flowers raise goes directly back to benefit those who make them-- our veterans. The money raised each year from these flowers goes towards countless veteran programs which help the well being of servicemen and servicewomen all across the country. 

The Poppies of Today 

Each year, an estimated 14 million 'Buddy Poppies' are distributed via the VFW. While they are given freely, donations are encouraged and much appreciated by the many veterans who benefit from all the good that comes from such a little red flower. 

These poppies may be available year-round, however, it is Memorial Day that really helps these flowers to flourish. By wearing a poppy, you are not only visibly honoring those who have died fighting for our freedom, you are also helping to support those veterans who are still alive today. It is because of this that the official slogan of this infamous poppy is, "to honor the dead by helping the living.” 

This Memorial Day, support our living veterans by remembering the fallen and their sacrifice which will never be forgotten.