Available year round, the "Buddy" Poppy program 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. The flowers are assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA hospitals.

First established before Memorial Day in 1922, the red flower has been adopted as the national memorial flower of the VFW, and was chosen after the publication of a poem written by Col. John McCrae of Canada.

The poem, "In Flander's Field," describes blowing red fields among the battleground of the fallen.

by John McCrae

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.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.