Walt Podolny doesn't remember many of the details from the afternoon he gave out the familiar reddish-orange flowers last year, but he does remember the little girl he met.
"She came up to me with her donation and said she wanted a flower for her daddy," said Podolny, a retired Army veteran who served during the Korean War. "He didn't make it back."
Every year, members of American Legion Posts across the country honor their brothers and sisters in arms — those who died in service or are being treated in hospitals — by handing out poppies made by disabled veterans as thanks for the donations they receive in metal cans.
Since the end of World War I, poppies have been a symbol of respect worn by veterans in remembrance of those who died or were injured in battle, said Jean Podolny, public relations chairwoman for American Legion Auxiliary Unit 176, the Post in which her husband is a member. "This small flower looms large as a reminder of the sacrifices our nation's veterans have made and continue to make for our country," she said.
Tom Thiebaut and Scott MacCallum spend two hours together every year, the Sunday before Veterans Day, handing out poppies in front of the Giant supermarket in Springfield Plaza.
"In the Legion, we know that if we don't look after our veterans, no one else will," said Thiebaut, a four-year Navy veteran of Korea. "Most of the people come by here have been in the military or know someone who served," he said. "A lot of people don't even want the flower, they just want to donate."
THE AMERICAN LEGION supports all veterans, regardless of which branch they served, MacCallum said. "We like to do what we can for the VA Hospitals. All the money we raise goes to support veterans' organizations," he said. He served in the U.S. Army in from 1960 to 1964.
In addition to raising funds to pay for medical supplies and needs, the American Legion collects clothing, games, books and other items needed by veterans in hospitals, Thiebaut said. "There's a lot of outreach we do for the military and families of soldiers who need our assistance," he said.
Both MacCallum and Thiebaut expressed their frustration with a government that doesn't give veterans the benefits and support they have earned.
"Outside organizations need to pick up the slack because our veterans are not sponsored by the government the way they should be," MacCallum said.
"The government doesn't provide anything but the basics for vets in hospitals," Thiebaut added. "This is where the volunteer organizations come in and help fill the gaps. We provide games and books for them, we go play bingo with veterans in the VA hospital in Washington, we take them videos and DVDs to watch," he said.
Podolny said many of the younger people who see the men standing with their paper flowers aren't aware of the history behind the tradition.
"They have a general idea of what Veterans Day is, but they don't know about the poppies," he said.
A poem written by Lt. Cl. John McCrae, a doctor in the Canadian Army during WWI, depicts a field filled with flowers where soldiers are buried after being killed in battle. It is often recited on both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, to pay tribute to those who continued to fight for freedom.