In Flanders Fields - The Memorial Poppy

Since the First World War, red poppies have been the symbol of remembrance for those lost in war and to this day they continue to symbolize the sacrifices of veterans. This post will feature two poems and their origins, to tell the story of how the poppy became such an iconic symbol. May these poems serve as a reminder of the enduring impact of war and the importance of remembering and honoring our veterans.

In 1915, a Canadian soldier and physician, Major John McCrae, wrote the poem In Flanders Fields. It was written after burying a close friend and fellow soldier, Lt. Alexis Helmer, following the Battle of Ypres in Belgium. The poem evokes powerful imagery as it references the poppies that grew in the fields where soldiers were buried.

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.

Three years later In 1918, Moina Michael, a young American teacher in New York, came across the poem In Flanders Fields. She was so moved by it that she wrote another poem, We Shall Keep the Faith, as a reply. Her poem was her way of making a personal pledge to "keep the faith" and from that day forward she vowed to wear a red poppy in remembrance. It was because of her dedication to campaigning for the recognition of the Memorial Poppy, that Moina Michael became known as "The Poppy Lady". Soon after the First World War, Veterans organizations began to adopt the red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who had lost their lives and incorporated it into their fund raising efforts for the care and welfare of those who had served.

We Shall Keep the Faith

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 cherish, too, the poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led:

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies,

But lends a lustre to the red

Of the flower that blooms above the dead

In Flanders Fields

And now the Torch and Poppy Red

We wear in honor of our dead.

Fear not that ye have died for naught;

We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

In Flanders Fields.

I wanted to include the photograph of the poppy at the top of this post because it has a story of its own. This is a photograph I took on the day before the anniversary of D-Day in 2023. For my Dad and the crew of the YMS-346, the day before D-Day had a significant relevance. During the Normandy Invasion, the minesweepers were at the head of the fleet and they arrived the day before. On that particular morning in 2023, I had just posted my D-Day anniversary blog piece. As I was sitting on my porch I noticed something bright red in my view quite a distance away. Whatever it was, was sticking up on the bank that leads down to the road in front of my house. As I got closer I saw that it was a single red poppy.

Although poppies are known to grow wild, I have never, not even once, seen a poppy on my property before or even since the one that bloomed on that day. I know many may think this was quite a coincidence but my heart tells me that this was my Dad's way of telling me that he was pleased. May we always remember the poppies from Flanders Fields and acknowledge that there are many stories associated with each and every Memorial Poppy.