Buddy Poppy
Post Buddy Poppy Chairman: Ed
Peters
The
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was the
first veteran organization to promote a nationally organized
campaign for the annual distribution of poppies assembled
by disabled and needy veterans.
The
poppy movement was inspired by the poem "In Flanders
Fields" written by Colonel John McCrae of the Canadian
forces before the United States entered World War I.
Selling replicas of the original Flanders' poppy originated
in some of the allied countries immediately after the
Armistice.
No
definite organized sale of poppies on a nationwide scale
was conducted in America until 1921, when the Franco-American
Children's League sold poppies ostensibly for the benefit
of children in the devastated areas of France and Belgium.
Madam
Guerin, who was recognized as "the poppy lady from
France", sought and received the cooperation of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. early in 1922,
after the Franco-American Children's League was dissolved.
The VFW conducted a poppy sale prior to Memorial Day,
1922, using only poppies that were made in France. In
the 1923 poppy sale, due to the difficulty and delay
in getting poppies from France, the VFW made use of a
surplus of French poppies that were on hand and the balance
was provided by a firm in New York City manufacturing
artificial flowers.
It
was during the 1923 campaign that the VFW evolved the
idea which resulted in the VFW Buddy Poppy - fashioned
by disabled and needy veterans who were paid for their
work as a practical means of providing assistance for
these Comrades. This plan was formally presented for
adoption to the 1923 encampment of the VFW at Norfolk,
Virginia. Immediately thereafter the VFW Buddy Poppy
factory was established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
where all VFW Buddy Poppies for the 1924 sale were assembled
by disabled veterans. General Frank T. Hines, Director
of the U.S. Veterans' Bureau, endorsed the plan and pledged
the cooperation of his department. All men employed in
the assembling of the Buddy Poppies for the 1924 sale
were sent to the VFW poppy workshop by the U.S. Veterans'
Bureau regional manager in Pittsburgh. The designation "Buddy
Poppy" which originated with the men themselves,
was adopted at that time. IN FEBRUARY, 1924, THE VFW
REGISTERED THE NAME "BUDDY POPPY" WITH THE
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, AND A CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED
ON MAY 20, 1924, GRANTING THE VFW ALL TRADEMARK RIGHTS
IN THE NAME OF "BUDDY" UNDER THE CLASSIFICATION
OF ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS. The VFW has made that trademark
a guarantee that all poppies bearing that name and the
VFW label are genuine products of the work of disabled
and needy veterans. No other organization, firm or individual
can make legal use of the name "BUDDY" POPPY.
Following
the 1924 sale, a number of the larger Departments (States)
of the VFW believed it would stimulate local sales if
the poppies they used were assembled by disabled veterans
in hospitals within their own jurisdiction. The 1924
encampment of the VFW at Atlantic City granted this privilege,
under the provision that all poppies would be produced
according to specifications set forth by the National
Buddy Poppy Committee, and that all poppies would be
assembled by disabled veterans in government hospitals
and by needy veterans in workshops supervised by the
VFW.
The
National Buddy Poppy Committee has maintained a close
check on the making of Buddy Poppies and has supplied
VFW Buddy Poppy labels which must be used on all poppies
sold by any unit of this organization. The VFW has steadfastly
adhered to the policy of veteran assembled poppies.
The
VFW organized the first nationwide distribution of poppies
ever conducted by a veterans organization in May, 1922.
Immediately thereafter, the poppy was adopted by the
National Encampment held in Seattle, Washington during
August of that year as the official memorial flower of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
In
September, 1920, the National Convention of the American
Legion held at Cleveland, passed a resolution adopting
the poppy as the official flower of that organization.
However, at the third National Convention of the American
Legion held in Kansas City in October, 1921, the American
Legion repudiated the poppy and adopted the daisy as
its official flower.
In
October, 1922, following the first nationwide sale of
poppies conducted by the VFW during the month of May
of that year, the fourth National Convention of the American
Legion held at New Orleans, Louisiana in October, adopted
the following resolution which is taken from a printed
summary of the proceedings: "Resolved, that the
poppy is hereby declared to be the official American
Legion flower, instead of the daisy, which was adopted
by the 1921 convention of the American Legion".
This
indicates the daisy was adopted by the American Legion
in 1921 and following the successful poppy sale conducted
by the VFW in May, 1922 the American Legion realized
the financial possibilities of the poppy movement. In
the spring of 1923, following the New Orleans encampment
and one year after the first poppy sale of the VFW on
a nationwide scale, the American Legion conducted its
first poppy sale using poppies supplied by a French manufacturer
as shown in the report of the National Adjutant for the
year ending October 15, 1923.
The
records are clear, however, on the subject of the first
nationwide distribution of poppies by the Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the U.S. in May, 1922.
From
the very beginning, the Buddy Poppy project of the VFW
has received the endorsement and cooperation of the Director
of the Veterans Administration, and the support of administrators
and medical officers of government hospitals. All Presidents
since Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) have conveyed to
the nation at large, endorsement and recognition of this
VFW effort.
Today,
VFW Buddy Poppies are assembled by disabled, needy, and
aging veterans in VA Hospitals and domiciliaries across
the country. The majority of proceeds derived from each
sale conducted by VFW Posts and their Ladies Auxiliaries
is retained locally to provide for veteran services and
welfare. The minimal assessment (cost of Buddy Poppies)
to VFW units provides compensation to the veterans who
assembled the poppies, provides financial assistance
in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation
and service programs, and partially supports the VFW
National Home for orphans and widows of our nation's
veterans.
Buddy
Poppy proceeds represent no profit to any VFW unit. All
the money contributed by the public for Buddy Poppies
is used in the cause of veterans welfare, or for the
well-being of their needy dependents and the orphans
of veterans.
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