Veterans Day is observed in the United States on 11 November, and is both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states. 11 November was formerly known as Armistice Day; in the United States it was given its new name in 1954 at the end of the Korean War to honour all veterans. Veterans Day is observed with memorial ceremonies, salutes at military cemeteries, and parades. The poppy and its connection Veterans Day and with the memory of those who have died in war has been expanded to help the living too. It was the inspiration and dedication of two women who promoted this same “Memorial Flower” as the means by which funds could be raised to support those in need of help, most especially servicemen and civilians suffering from physical and mental hardship as a result of war. The origin of the red Flanders poppy as a modern-day symbol of Remembrance was the inspiration of an American woman, Miss Moina Michael. Moina Michael: “The Poppy Lady” It was on a Saturday morning, 9th November 1918, two days before the Armistice was declared at 11 oclock on 11th November. Moina Belle Michael was on duty at the YMCA Overseas War Secretaries headquarters in New York. She was working in the “Gemot” in Hamilton Hall. This was a reading room and a place where U.S. servicemen would often gather with friends and family to say their goodbyes before they went on overseas service. On that day Hamilton Hall and the “Gemot” was busy with people coming and going. The Twenty-fifth Conference of the Overseas YMCA War Secretaries was in progress at the headquarters. During the first part of the morning as a young soldier passed by Moinas desk he left a copy of the latest November edition of the “Ladies Home Journal” on the desk.(3) At about 10.30am Moina found a few moments to herself and browsed through the magazine. In it she came across a page which carried a vivid colour illustration with the poem entitled “We Shall Not Sleep”. This was an alternative name sometimes used for John McCraes poem, which was also called “In Flanders Fields”. Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae had died of pneumonia several months earlier on 28th January 1918. A black and white reproduction of the colour illustration which was printed in the Ladies Home Journal which had such an impact on Moina Michael. (5) The illustration from the Ladies Home Journal that inspired Moina Michael Moina had come across the poem before, but reading it on this occasion she found herself transfixed by the last verse: 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. In her autobiography, entitled “The Miracle Flower”, Moina describes this experience as deeply spiritual. She felt as though she was actually being called in person by the voices which had been silenced by death. Moina Michaels Pledge to Keep the Faith At that moment Moina made a personal pledge to “keep the faith”. She vowed always to wear a red poppy of Flanders Fields as a sign of remembrance. It would become an emblem for “keeping the faith with all who died”. Compelled to make a note of this pledge she scribbled down a response on the back of a used envelope. She titled her poem We Shall Keep the Faith. The first verse read like this: 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. “We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michael Three men attending the conference then arrived at Moinas desk. On behalf of the delegates they asked her to accept a cheque for 10 dollars, in appreciation of the effort she had made to brighten up the place with flowers at her own expense. She was touched by the gesture and replied that she would buy twenty-five red poppies with the money. She showed them the illustration for John McCraes poem “In Flanders Fields” in the Ladies Home Journal, together with her response to it “We Shall Keep the Faith”. The delegates took both poems back into the Conference. The First Poppies Worn in Remembrance Artificial poppies After searching the shops for some time that day Moina found one large and twenty-four small artificial red silk poppies in Wanamakers department store. When she returned to duty at the YMCA Headquarters later that evening the delegates from the Conference crowded round her asking for poppies to wear. Keeping one poppy for her coat collar she gave out the rest of the poppies to the enthusiastic delegates. According to Moina, this was the first group-effort asking for poppies to wear in memory of “all who died in Flanders Fields”. Since this group had given her the money with which to buy them, she considered that she made the first sale of the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy on 9th November 1918. Campaign for the Poppy as a National Memorial Symbol Moina Michael was determined to put all her energy towards getting the Poppy emblem adopted in the United States as a national memorial symbol. She was encouraged by a positive reaction to the idea by the press. She began a tireless campaign at her own expense, starting with a letter to her congressman in December 1918. In the letter she asked him to put the idea to the War Department, which he immediately did. She wanted to act swiftly so that this new national emblem might be already be produced in the form of pins, on postcards and so on in time for the signing of the peace treaty at Versailles in June 1919. She realized that after the war the numerous signs related to the war - the Red Cross, War Loan insignia, Service Flags - which had been evident all over the United States during its involvement in the war would gradually be removed. Moina considered that a replacement emblem, the red poppy, could be used to fill those empty spaces as a symbolic reminder of those who had not returned home to celebrate the end of the war. So when you see a vet giving a red poppy away and asking for a donation... now you know the very long and valiant history behind it. So be proud to wear that poppy!
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 15:21:32 +0000
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