The Poppy remembers

Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, as it was first known on May 30 in 1868, was proclaimed by General John Logan, the National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, by General order number 11. The day was created to honor the dead in the Civil War and established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers. By the 20th century, Decoration Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in military service.

On May 2 in 1915, Canadian poet John McCrae's close friend and former student Alexis Helmer was killed by a German shell in World War I. Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium, "In Flanders Fields" (See below) became the basis for poppies being the flower symbolically used to honor the war dead.

American professor Moina Micheal conceived of the Flanders Field Memorial poppy in 1915 to decorate the graves of American soldiers. In 1919 her fame spread to such an extent she was known as the "Poppy Lady".

In 1920 the poppy was made the official memorial flower of the American Legion and the Auxiliary in 1921. In 1924, the Legion started the national poppy program, where paper poppies are made by disabled vets to be sold to honor veterans of wars. The disabled vets are paid for each poppy they make and materials are supplied free of charge. The proceeds from these paper poppies go to Veterans Affairs for rehabilitation of vets and to help their families.

Symbolism of the poppy is as such for the American Legion. The red petals stand for the vast outpouring of blood; the green and black center, the mud and desolation of all battlefields. The green of the stem is symbolic of the forests, meadows and fields where generations Americans have perished to make this land free. The stem represents the courage and determination of our fallen warriors. The assembled product, a flower, is a symbol of resurrection which is sure to follow.

There is a poem written by an unknown author that the American Legion Auxiliary also uses to make Americans aware of the paper poppy's importance to vets (See "Only a Paper Poppy" below).

Hope Miller, resident of Saratoga, takes the message of the paper poppy seriously. She works with businesses in Carbon County for them to carry the paper poppies for purchase.

These businesses Dee's, Red Wagon, Bear Trap, Mangy Moose, Trading Post and Riverside Garage in Encampment and Riverside will have the poppies for sale this year.

In Saratoga, the participating businesses to find the paper poppies are: Valley Foods Grocery, Kum and Go, Country Store, Rustic Bar, Legion, Wolf Hotel, Hack's Tackle, The Whistle Pig, Shively's Hardware, Shively's North, Duke's Restaurant and Bar and Family Dollar.

In addition to helping raise funds for the vets through the American Legion Auxiliary, Miller cleans the memorial in the park every year, honoring those in Saratoga who have fallen serving our country. She has been doing it for 17 years. Miller often wears her American Legion jacket her husband gave her a couple months before he passed away.

"I just want the new generation to appreciate what so many have given of themselves in serving our country, especially when remembering vets from wars that have been many years ago," Miller said, as she tells of her commitment to cleaning the memorial and getting the poppies out for distribution.

The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day," which was first used in 1882. Memorial Day did not become the more common name until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971. After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress' change of date within a few years.

East Carbon County has ceremonies at several cemeteries to honor the fallen of this land.

On Sunday, there will be Memorial Day services at 10 a.m. at Old Carbon Cemetery.

From noon until 1:30 p.m. lunch will be provided by the Hanna Cemetery Board, served at the Hanna Recreation Center. At 2 p.m. Memorial Day services at Hanna Cemetery. Refreshments afterwards will be served at Hanna Basin Historical Museum.

In Encampment, flags will be put up in the cemeteries of Mountain View and Encampment on Saturday and on Monday, at Encampment Cemetery 11 a.m. a Memorial Service will be held.

Saratoga's American Legion will have a Memorial Day Service at the chapel at the Saratoga cemetery at 11 a.m on Monday. and luncheon will follow the service at the Legion.

No matter what memorial service a person attends, Miller has one request.

"Wear a poppy with pride.