On the last Monday in May, Americans enjoy the traditional kick-off of summertime, complete with BBQ's, beer, and baseball.  Be sure to take a moment while enjoying this special time with family and friends to honor the memory of those who died while serving in the Armed Forces.    

 

As a child, I remember my father always putting a red poppy in his jacket lapel during the days leading up to Memorial Day. Do you know why the poppy came to be a symbol for Memorial Day? 

 

In 1915, in the midst of The First World War, Lieutenant Colonel John McRae, stationed in France as a surgeon for an artillery unit, saw a cluster of poppies growing in the battlefield where the Battle of Ypres had been fought. He was inspired by the bright red of the flowers and wrote the poem, "In Flanders Field" to commemorate the soldiers who had lost their lives and were buried where the poppies were growing.  

 

After reading his poem, Moina Michael, a teacher in Georgia, was so moved by McRae's verses that she wrote her own poem, "We Shall Keep the Faith," urging Americans to make the poppy a symbol for all who died in war.   The idea quickly caught on and wearing a poppy in remembrance of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military became common practice.