IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 349 

Honoring past and current members of the Armed Forces of the United 

States and their families by encouraging every American to wear a 

red poppy on Memorial Day as a sign of admiration and thanks to 

those individuals who died to preserve freedom and democracy in the 

United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 14, 2008 

Mr. SHADEGG submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Honoring past and current members of the Armed Forces 

of the United States and their families by encouraging 

every American to wear a red poppy on Memorial Day 

as a sign of admiration and thanks to those individuals 

who died to preserve freedom and democracy in the 

United States. 

Whereas the red poppy was the first living plant that sprouted in the battlefields devastated by fighting during World 

War I; 

Whereas red poppies grew abundantly in the trenches and 

craters of the war-torn battlefields in Northern France 

and Belgium; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
2 

•HCON 349 IH 

Whereas during World War I, the bloom of red poppies each 

year and the coming of the warm weather brought hope 

to those still fighting in the trenches of France and Belgium; 

Whereas in 1915, the red poppy inspired Canadian Colonel 

John McCrae to write the poem ‘‘In Flanders Fields’’ in 

remembrance of the thousands of soldiers who perished 

during the three battles of Ypres in Belgium; 

Whereas in 1918, John McCrae’s poem inspired Moina Belle 

Michael of Athens, Georgia, to write her own poem entitled ‘‘We Shall Keep the Faith’’, in which she promised 

to wear a red poppy to memorialize American soldiers 

killed in World War I, and later to raise millions of dollars to support and employ disabled American veterans of 

all wars; 

Whereas, on November 11, 1921, the first Poppy Day was 

held in the United Kingdom and was a national success; 

Whereas the red poppy is a symbol of sacrifice throughout 

the world; 

Whereas the red poppy has been worn in the United States 

for more than 84 years as a way to remember those individuals who died fighting for freedom and democracy 

around the world and to raise money to help disabled veterans; and 

Whereas in 2008, wearing a red poppy on Memorial Day is 

especially timely considering the sacrifices United States 

soldiers are making in Iraq and Afghanistan for freedom, 

democracy, and security: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
3 

•HCON 349 IH 

1 SECTION 1. RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

2 FORCES ON MEMORIAL DAY. 

3 Congress honors past and current members of the 

4 Armed Forces of the United States and their families by 

5 encouraging every American to wear a red poppy on Me6 morial Day as a sign of admiration and thanks to those 

7 individuals who died to preserve freedom and democracy 

8 in the United States. 

9 SEC. 2. CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY. 

10 The authority on which this resolution rests is the 

11 authority of Congress to make all laws which shall be nec12 essary and proper as provided in article I, section 8, of 

13 the United States Constitution. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS