American Legion Post 454 Poppy Day: May 23
American Legion Post 454 and Auxiliary will be at Oak Island, NC’s local Food Lion (8 am-6pm) this Saturday, May 23: Come and get a Poppy to wear on Memorial Day - a day to remember those who have given their lives in defense of our freedom.
All donations will provide support for the future of veterans, active-duty military and their families with medical and financial needs.
The tradition of wearing a poppy dates back to 1920, when it became the memorial flower of The American Legion Family. The American Legion Auxiliary has used poppies for many years to raise awareness and support for our nation’s veterans, active-duty service members and their families.
You are encouraged to stop by and make a donation in exchange for a poppy provided by American Legion and Auxiliary members at the Food Lion on Oak Island.
Thank you!.
‘In Flanders Fields the Poppies Blow’
World War I and a poem by Canadian Lt. Col. John McCrae, “In Flanders Fields,” gave rise to the red poppy as a symbol of loss, sacrifice, and hope. A physician, McCrae wrote the poem shortly after the death of a good friend. McCrae himself died of pneumonia on the Western Front before the war’s end.
The American Legion Auxiliary and others sell or distribute red poppies on the Friday before Memorial Day, encouraging pe0ple to wear them or give them away.
President John F. Kennedy once said: “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
Wearing or giving a red poppy to others is a sign of that honor.
“Honor the fallen and support the living.”
