Remember the fallen
The red poppy serves as a visible reminder of military service and sacrifice and helps ensure that those who died in service to the nation are not forgotten.
Remembrance · Service · Sacrifice
In Flanders Fields
A poem written amid the battlefields of the First World War helped make the red poppy an enduring symbol of remembrance, sacrifice, and service.
Discover Its VFW SignificanceVFW Commander-in-Chief at Flanders Field American Cemetery · Photo: Veterans of Foreign Wars
A symbol born from sacrifice
From a battlefield poem to a promise of remembrance
During the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, Canadian physician and artillery officer Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae spent days treating Canadian and Allied casualties. Saddened by the death of a close friend, he wrote In Flanders Fields.
The poem's image of poppies growing among wartime graves helped establish the red poppy as an international symbol of remembrance. For the Veterans of Foreign Wars, that symbol became connected to a continuing commitment to remember the fallen and assist veterans and military families.
The words that inspired a movement
In Flanders Fields
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae · 1915
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:
— Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
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.
Why Flanders Fields matters to the VFW
The poppy turns remembrance into service
The VFW's connection to the poppy is expressed through the VFW Buddy Poppy®, its official memorial flower and one of the organization's most recognizable traditions of remembrance.
Support veterans
At its 1923 encampment, the VFW decided that Buddy Poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would receive compensation for their work.
Continue the mission
Voluntary donations received during Buddy Poppy distributions help support authorized VFW veteran relief efforts, while a portion of the program also supports the VFW National Home.
"The torch; be yours to hold it high.” For VFW Post 7824, carrying the torch means remembering those who served before us while continuing to serve veterans, military families, and our community.
American sacred ground in Belgium
Flanders Field American Cemetery
In Waregem, Belgium, Flanders Field American Cemetery is the final resting place of 368 American military dead, most of whom gave their lives while helping liberate Belgian soil during World War I. The names of 43 additional service members are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.
The 6.2-acre site is the smallest American Battle Monuments Commission cemetery. Its graves, chapel, and memorial walls preserve the memory of Americans who served and died far from home.
Explore Flanders Field American Cemetery through the ABMC Opens in a new tab 368 American burials
43 Names on the Walls of the Missing
6.2 Acres of memorial grounds
Our responsibility today
Carry the torch with VFW Post 7824
Every Buddy Poppy shared, every veteran assisted, and every young person taught the meaning of remembrance helps preserve the memory of those who served before us.
- Wear and share a VFW Buddy Poppy.
- Support veteran relief and assistance efforts.
- Teach the next generation why remembrance matters.
- Pause to remember those who gave their lives in service.
Official Sources and Further Reading
Historical information on this page is based on materials from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and the Canadian War Museum.
