Memorial Day 2022

Memorial Day 2022

By: Carl H. Block, Esq.

May 30, 2022

Today is Memorial Day, which is a time to honor the fallen of all of America’s wars. Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces.

There is a tradition around Memorial Day of wearing red poppies to honor and memorialize fallen soldiers, as well as serving as a fundraiser to support our nation’s war veterans.

The red poppy became the national emblem of remembrance in 1920, shortly after the end of World War 1. The red poppy symbolizes resilience, because of its ability to rebound and grow on the devastated battlefields of World War 1.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, was moved by the sight of the red poppies growing in and around the bomb craters after a battle. In 1915, he wrote a poem called “In Flanders Fields” in honor of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who was killed during battle in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. The first verse is:

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.

The poem became popular in the United States, and the poppies in the poem became a symbol of remembrance, hope, and resilience. When we think of the poppies, we honor each of the more than 645,000 men and women who have given their lives in the line of duty to protect our freedoms since World War 1. As we enjoy our families and friends this Memorial Day, may we never forget our fallen servicemen and women and know that freedom is not free and that our nation owes a great debt to its fallen heroes.


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