Q: What has happened to the selling of poppies for Veterans Day? It used to be a tradition, and I understood it raised quite a bit of money. I never see anyone selling them anymore. In Great Britain, they sell pins that look like poppies to honor their armed forces members.
—Eloise S. Pino, Marietta
A: The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion Auxiliary are heavily involved in the distribution of poppies to commemorate Veterans Day and other military holidays. The VFW's Buddy Poppy program, established in 1923, distributed more than 10 million poppies nationwide in 2012, Randi Law, the VFW's communications manager, told Q&A on the News in an email. She wrote that poppies are not sold, but the VFW accepts donations to help with the cost of the poppies, which are "assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals," according VFW.org. American Legion Auxiliary units across metro Atlanta were to distribute red crepe paper poppies on Monday as the organization works to revamp the program "to get the visibility back to where it was years ago," Brenda Collins, this year's National Poppy Chairman, told Q&A on the News in an email. The American Legion is "hoping to involve a new generation of veterans to work along with the previous generations to spread the word and grow our beloved poppy program," she wrote. The tradition of poppies on military holidays comes from a poem called "In Flanders Fields," written in 1915 by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a Canadian doctor serving in World War I.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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