LETHBRIDGE, AB – The most well-known symbol of remembrance is now a century old.
The original idea of the poppy came after World War One from a lady by the name of Anna Guerin of France who was inspired by the famous poem, “In Flanders Fields”.
It has been an iconic symbol of remembrance in many countries around the globe ever since.
The local legion branch commemorated the 100th anniversary of the poppy on Tuesday with a ceremony at Mountain View Cemetery. The local Legion also showed the recent installation of several veteran graves with military markers thanks to The Last Post Fund.
The General Stewart Branch has also launched a social media campaign. People across southern Alberta who have a memory of someone associated with the poppy, are asked to post using the hashtag, #mypoppymemory
“There are many people in the community whose relatives have served and whose memories have as yet not been shared or recorded for posterity. We want to reach out to encourage the tech savvy, social media generation to research and share these stories as a lasting and public tribute to the memory of their service and sacrifice” says Tom McElhinney, Chair of the Poppy Committee of the Lethbridge Branch.
