Poppy Remembrance Umbrella

The red poppy is an internationally recognized symbol of remembrance to commemorate those soldiers who have died in war serving their country. In 1915, Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the World War I poem In Flanders Fields, which referred to the brilliant red poppies that bloomed in the aftermath of the war torn battlefields of Flanders. Inspired by McCrae's poem, Ms. Moina Michael published a response called We Shall Keep the Faith, in which she vowed to always wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance. Her continued efforts resulted in the adoption of the red poppy by the American Legion as the national symbol of sacrifice honoring the casualties of war. Additionally, the symbol of the poppy flower was adopted by military veterans' groups in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

World War II saw the biggest mobilization of American servicemen in the history of our nation and the second largest total of combat deaths in the history of the country. In 1954, US Congress established November 11th as the official day to honor American veterans of all wars changing the previous name "Armistice Day" to "Veterans Day", which honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice of dying for their country.