The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCING HOUSE RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF
NATIONAL POPPY DAY
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HON. ANDRE CARSON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise to re-introduce a resolution recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Poppy Day, May 28. The importance of this day cannot be overstated. It's a day full of respect and remembrance for servicemembers who sacrificed so much for our Nation. The poppy flower has long been a marker of respect and a way to raise awarerness and support for members of our Nation's veterans communities, servicemembers, and their families. On May 28, we share our respect for their work on behalf of our country by acknowledging the poppy flower's symbolism, and by recognizing their sacrifices--all by donning our ``poppy red.''
The red-flowered corn poppy became symbolic as a living representation of the brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice on the fields of battle in World War I. Since that time, the red of the poppy flower--itself a symbol of the blood shed by those who have served--has been worn as a gesture of gratitude and recognition of others' respective sacrifices for their country, in different theaters of war.
In the United States, The American Legion--and the entire American Legion Family--first called attention in 1920 to the symbolic importance of the poppy flower. At that time, near the end of the war, red-flowered corn poppies were especially linked to the poem In Flanders Fields, which reads:
``In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row''
This reference, evoking images of the poppies that sprang up in the churned-up earth of newly dug soldiers' graves in parts of Belgium and France following World War I, encapsulates the symbolic importance of National Poppy Day.
I am proud to have partnered with The American Legion on this bill as their headquarters is in Indianapolis, in my district, and we invite all Members of Congress to wear their poppy red, support the goal and ideals of National Poppy Day on May 28, and pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for our country. I also invite all of my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this resolution.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 91
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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