Why do we wear a Poppy?

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month",

We also remember all the men and women who have served our country.

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae.

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.

On November 11, please take a moment to remember these special people who gave their lives and served (and continue to serve) our country..

I included the post above in my weekly newsletter. I received an email from one of my subscribers, telling me how important the Poppy Fund is to her and her family. Her story touched me deeply and I share it with you (posted with permission):

If anyone asks you where does the money go that is raised by poppy sales each year – now that most of the older Veterans have passed – I can tell you:  it goes to help a whole new slew of Veterans from the Afghan War and other recent wars.  

My son, is a Vet. of these new wars.  In 2002, Michael was is Afghanistan peacekeeping/fighting for Canada when on April 18, 2002, a bomb killed the first four Canadians soldiers who were killed on ‘active’ duty since the Korean War.  That bomb missed my kid by about 8 feet!  

He was pretty messed up by this and his method of dealing with it was Chrystal meth.  He spent 12 as a drug addict but I am now soooo happy to be able to say he has now been clean for 2 ½ years.

In 2009, I went to Edmonton, to see him, for four days and stayed nine months.  I went through $24,000 in four months, between making his mortgage payments, paying all his bills including lawyer’s fees to get and keep him out of  jail.

I finally ran out of money and called Veteran’s Affairs and asked for an advance on his ‘soon-to-be-approved’ pension as the mortgage and other bills  was due again and I was broke.  They explained that they did not do that but told me to call the POPPY FUND.  I said I thought that that was for War-Veterans and they told me that yes it was and that Michael was a War-Veteran!   

After crying for a while with that realization, I called the Poppy Fund and they told me to bring down all of my son's bills including the mortgage and they would certainly pay them.  They would also provide food vouchers for both of us .. if and when we needed it and would continue to look after us until the pension came in and we were OK.

   

His pension came in the next month and I received a call from the Poppy Fund to see if we still needed their services… which we did not.

We convinced our son to move back home with us and after a few more years of struggling …. he now has 2 ½ years of sobriety.    

I want to thank Mary for sharing this story with me and allowing me to share it with you.