The Grapevine: Memorial Day and the Poppy's History
By Rosalyn Queen on May 22, 2025 from The Grapevine
“In Flanders Field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks still singing, fly………
Scarce heard and the guns below
…….
“The torch be yours to hold it high
If you break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Field.”
One of the original observances of Memorial Day was the red poppy. This poem, In Flanders Field, is what instituted the poppy observance. The poem, which was written by John McCrae who was a Canadian and was written at the war in Belgium. He was a doctor and served in that war.
The last Monday of May, being May 26, this year marks Memorial Day and the beginning of Summer. In the beginning we called it Decoration Day but in 1971 it officially became Memorial Day.
In 1865 after the Civil War ended, they wanted a day when they could pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. Although there is not a true place where Memorial Day was born it is thought that Charleston, South Carolina held the first Memorial Day celebration and in 1966 Waterloo, New York held an observance of Memorial Day. It has been recorded that this is the original celebration. Later It was decided that all fallen soldiers would be honored, and that would include World War II, Vietnam, Korea, and the Gulf Wars in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan.
Many communities observe Memorial Day with parades and picnics. Most individuals would visit the graveyard and place flowers on the soldiers’ graves buried there.
I remember as a young girl the VFW always had a parade to observe Memorial Day. Most of us young girls would go to the VFW and get poppies and sell them to the individuals who were there to watch the parade the money we got from selling the poppies was turned into the VFW.
I do not know if many of us observe Memorial Day with the true meaning in mind. It seems that too many of us use it as a long weekend and the beginning of summer vacations. Generally, all the pools open this weekend. I truly hope that communities will realize the importance of an actual Memorial Day celebration.
It is hard to believe that the red poppy tradition started with the poem in Flanders Field. Why don’t we all decide to wear a red poppy on Memorial Day weekend? This would be a small tribute to our fallen soldiers and those who serve and return home to us.
Have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.
A big thank you to Mrs. Knoble who I met at the Clarksburg Farmers Market, and she advised me that she is a regular reader of The Grapevine and has been for a long time.
Stay safe, stay cool and until next week “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”
Leave a Comment
Log in or create an account to post a comment.