To Honor the dead by helping the liveing

        THE HISTORY OF OUR

"BUDDY" POPPY CAMPAIGN
           

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United

States was the first organization to promote

a nationwide distribution of poppies

assembled by disabled and need veterans.
To substantiate this claim, and to dispel any

claim to the contrary the following

chronological and documentary information

is briefly outlined.
In 1921, the Franco-American Children’s

League conducted a nationwide distribution

of Poppies made in France, for the benefit of

children in the war-torn areas of France and

Belgium. The inspiration came from Col. John

McCrae’s poem, "In Flanders Fields."
October 1921, the American Legion, at its

convention in Kansas City, repudiated its

action of 1920 in choosing the poppy as its

official flower and substituted the daisy.
In May 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of

the United States conducted a nationwide

distribution of poppies made in France. This

was after the dissolution of the

Franco-American Children’s League, and in

response to an appeal by Madame Guerin,

"the poppy lady from France."
In October 1922, following the first

nationwide distribution of poppies by the

VFW, the American Legion Convention

repudiated the daisy as its official flower and

again adopted the poppy.
In the spring of 1923, the American Legion

conducted its first nationwide sale of

poppies made by a French manufacturer.
In 1923, the VFW evolved the idea which

resulted in the VFW "Buddy Poppy" fashioned

by disabled and needy veterans who were

paid for their work in assembling "Buddy"

poppies. In February 1924, the VFW

registered the name "Buddy" Poppy with the

U.S. Patent Office, and still holds all

trademark rights in the name "Buddy" under

the classification of artificial flowers.
Since May 1924, the VFW has annually

conducted a "Buddy" Poppy campaign.