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Buddy Poppy History
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
domiciliary 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.