Laurel outlook., 1948-03-31
STORY OF ORIGIN
OF p DAY

OF two world wars was described
by Mrs. Carolyn Albertus, president
of Laurel unit of the American Le-
gion Auxiliary, as the Auxiliary con-
tinued its preparation for the an
nual observance of Poppy day here
Saturday, May 20.
"The custom of wearing the poppy
as a memorial flower seemed to
spring up naturally both in the
United States and England after the
close of World war l." explained
Mrs. Albertus. Returning soldiers
brought back memories of the little
wild peoples growing along the
edge of the trenches, beneath the
tangled barbed wire, around the shell
holes and over the fresh earth of
the battle graves. They were the
one touch of natures beauty which
survived in that area of destruction
known as "the western 'front.'" and
came to symbolic the heroism of
those who died.
"The association of the poppy
with the war dead was given bea-
tiful expression in the poem of
Col. John McCrae Canadian physi-
clan. who sacrificed his own life
shortly after he wrote:
In Flanders fields the
peoples blow,
Between the crosses, row
on row"
The poem touched hearts the
world over and tied the poppy in
separately to thoughts of the war
dead.
The first instance of wearing
poppies in tribute to the dead took
place in New York City November
9 1918 when Miss Molina Michael of
Athens, Ga, a Y. M. C. A. staff
worker, distributed peoples at q
conference of that organization.
The poppy vas first distributed
publicly on the streets of Milwau-
kee in June 1919 in connection with
the homecoming of the T~hirty-sec-
ond division and was first used to
raise funds for aid of the disabled
veterans in that same city the fol-
lowing May. {:
"The American Legion adopted !:
the poppy as its memorial flower
at its national convention in Cleve- :
land in 1920 and by the American :
Auxiliary at its first ma :
tional convention in Kansas City in +:
1921. :
"At first silk peoples made in :
France by French widows and or :
phans were distributed by the Le- :
gion and Auxiliary on Poppy day. :
Making of peoples by disabled Am :
erican veterans was begun in hos :
pitfalls in Minnesota in 1922 and the :
veteran-made crepe paper flowers :
gradually displaced the silk peoples. E
This year more than 25,000,000 pop :
pies have been made by thousands s
IF disabled men and women working =
n hospitals and convalescent work :
in 40 states. :
'The crepe paper poppy was adj =
'pted as the official American Le- :
ion Auxiliary flower because it's =
provided more interesting z
nd beneficial work for the veterans =
18th minimum cost of materials. =
"While the dead of World war =
[ fell in many parts of the world, =
aany of the fiercest battles of that =
'ar took place in France, Flanders =
nd western Germany, where the e
oppy is a native wild flower. =
gain it bloomed between the eros =
IS which marked the resting places e
{ American dead and it became =
lie memorial flower for World war =
as well as World war l. No =
after where they died, the poppy =
the flower which says we re- =
ember and honor their great sacri- =
&c for America. =
Thoughts of the dead naturally =
ing thoughts of the disabled vet e
ans and the children deprived of =
fathers support by the war. So, =
exchange for the peoples each =
,ar Americans contribute approx =
ately 100000 for rehabilitation =
id child welfare funds of The =
merican Legion and Auxiliary" =