Poll: Will You Be Wearing A Poppy? (29 Votes)

This is a single option poll. Please select the most appropriate option from the list.

"The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal is here again and will result in several million people in the UK pinning a poppy to their clothes for the next couple of weeks. As an act of remembrance purely for those who died in the First World War, the appeal could be forgiven for fading away.....but it hasn't, as it has come to represent those who have died in all the subsequent wars we have been involved with. Not everyone feels compelled to where a poppy though, and there is perhaps something distasteful about the way some media organisations rush to pin a poppy on EVERY one of their presenters as a matter of course. So the question is, will you be wearing a poppy this year? Feel free to explain why you will or why you will not."

Would never dream of not wearing a poppy.

I'm named after my grandmother's favourite brother, who was killed 01 Sep 1918 by a sniper's bullet. We were fortunate to be able to visit his grave 4 years ago, and were suitably humbled by the huge numbers of graves, of all nationalities and faiths, often bearing no name but the inscription "A soldier known only to God." We take our freedom for granted nowadays, but have A LOT to thank those chaps for, and the least we can do is to remember the price they paid for our freedom by wearing a poppy.
A visit to the War Cemeteries should be a compulsory part of everyone's education...

Agreed

James

we should never forget

My grandfather was in the H.L.I. (Highland Light Infantry) and fought at Ypres. We've never been able to find out about what he did there but he was a lead miner in Wanlockhead so we think he may have been conscripted into one of the mining batallions who tunneled under enemy lines (but thats just a guess). My Grandfather never spoke about the war even when asked by a curious war obsessed kid (me)

My Father landed on Sword Beach, Normandy on D-Day and we had the honour of taking him over there many times between 1994 and 2005. We visited all of the war cemetaries over there; British, Canadian, American and German and it is truly humbling.

In a small coastal village called Hermanville le'Breche they have a ceremony on June 6th (every Normandy village has one) They lay wreaths at the memorial at the beach and then march 3 miles to the war cemetary. Veterans of 80 years plus will walk that distance as if they were 18 again! At the cemetary there is the usual rememberance service then a piper leads the local children each carrying a flower along the lines of graves where each child lays a flower on one soldiers grave. Almost everyone who witnesses the event has to fight back the tears.

We know many French people from Normandy and I asked one of them once if they felt that the time had come to stop all the ceremonies and move on - he told me that they could never do enough for the veterans and the others who were not so lucky and lie in their soil - they will never forget so neither should we.

One of these years I will go and visit grave of my great uncle George Johnstone who is buried at Tannay cemetery near Thiennes.

Anyone know a good company who does tours to WW1 sites

Yes, I will wear a poppy this year as I have done every year for as long as I can remember. I may not live in England, but we in the States wear poppies starting on Veteran's Day, November 11th. We honor the veterans that did not return from Normandy's shores and all those who have not returned since then. My father-in-law was wounded on Normandy Beach on D-Day. Thankfully, he returned to the states and married the nurse(Woman's Army Corp) who took care of him in the military hospital. We were blessed that his 2 sons both joined the military (the oldest in the Army and the youngest, my husband, in the Navy) and are still with us. My husband's 30 years in the Navy have seen him through Viet Nam, the Cold War, the Middle East War, the Gulf War, and into the Iraq and Afghanastan Wars. He may be retired but he still helps whereever he can with the Iraq and Afghan Wars. I feel sometimes like the people have forgotten 911 because there was such a surge of American Flags on everything right after and now, they seem to have gone away. They're still brought out for national holidays, but not on an everyday basis by everyday people. Except mine - mine is a very faded 18" x 25" magnet that is to this day on the tailgate of my pickup truck. It will never come off as long as I own the truck. It doesn't even come off when the truck gets washed. Don't know what the underside of that magnet looks like.

I have never seen the cemeteries in France except for photos. They bring tears to my eyes even now. Here in the States, a lot of veterans wear their ballcaps with their unit or their ship on them. I always ask if the cap was a gift or if they served. I thank each one of them for their service and am always amazed when their tears start flowing because they have never been thanked before! They will not go without knowing how much I appreciate my freedom that they fought for as long as I stand.

I will be wearing my Poppy this year and every year. I am very proud of all soldiers near and far and that have fought for our country. So, from Canada the Poppy is worn here as well.
Elaine

Why in the world would people NOT wear a poppy? My father was in the RAF in WWII; my father -in-law was in the Canadian infantry WWII; my middle son is in the Canadian navy; my youngest son is in the Canadian Army (combat engineer - the ones that get to go on the roads and look for those infernal IED). ALL of us in the free world know or are related to someone who has enabled US to have the peace that we enjoy and there are still so many areas that are bombarded with conflict! Whether we believe in the current political maneuvering or not we should still remember those who died or fought to let us be what we are and have the freedom to choose to wear a poppy or not AND regardless of what our own views are (I am a 'peacenik' and am amazed that my boys chose the military!) we should still SUPPORT THE TROOPS!
Anne

You only have to visit a fraction of the WW1 cemetries in Northern France to appreciate what a sacrifice that entire generation made for us.
Without that sacrifice, there isn't one of us who would be the people we are today. That goes not just for the soldiers, sailors and airmen who were lost, but the dreadful sacrifice that the loved ones left behind were also forced to endure. This has to include all those who have suffered, and are still suffering from all subsequent wars, globally and for reasons much less obvious than WW1.

Remembering them ALL is the very least we can do, because, sadly it seems mankind has not learnt a great deal from all these wars, other than to kill more effectively.

I agree completely with all thats been said above

But...

My feelings when visiting the WW1 graves isnt quite about the sacrifice but about the complete waste of human life during that conflict. The mix of new mechanised forms of killing combined with out of date (Crimean War) military tactics exemplified by the likes of Haig for the British and Pershing for the Americans made this one of the greatest disgraces of the 20th century.

Then there was the denial of 'shell shock' and the execution of under age soldiers who were not emotionally mature enough to deal with the horror they faced.

For a long time I did agonise over the wearing of a poppy because of its association with Earl Haig (in the UK) and would instead make a contribution towards other charities such as Erskine (when my father died I convinced my mother to split the money rasied by mourners between Haig & Erskine). However at the end of the day its not about that terrible leader or that terrible war but about remembering all of those who were taken prematurely, whether conscripts or volunteers or innocent victims of all conflicts.

I'll be wearing one if I can find one!

My grandfather was a pilot in WWI, then trained pilots at Gimili, Manitoba in WWII. My father and both uncles were veterans in WWII. They endured so much to make the world a better place for future generations, and to put an end to atrocities against their fellow men and women.

I don't have much use for war, and I wish we could find a way of living without it. But I do respect people who show the courage of their convictions, too.

I've had a poppy with me since Memorial Day when I gave a donation to an 80-something Navy veteran outside a market. I looked in the man's eyes and saw my grandfathers. I'll wear the poppy for Remembrance Day as well.

I have my Great-Grandfather's uniform, dog tags, medals, and French driver's license from WWI....as well as a love letter he wrote to my Great-Grandmother shortly after he left. He drove a truck for an artillery unit during WWI. His brother was in the infantry. By grace, both made it home...but all I really know about their time in France is what I've pieced together from artifacts and research. But I know that we can't forget.

I will wear a poppy - always have. Three Brechin brothers served in WWI with the Gordon Highlanders out of Boddam Aberdeen, two came back. My great uncle Alexander Simpson Brechin died in France of his wounds.

I certainly will wear a poppy. I had two uncles killed in the first world war. I would love to find out about them. I think their names are on the menai gate

We can never forget all those young men killed during the two world wars, in honor and as a reminder of the costs of war.
Einstein said ¨I have no idea what world war 3 will be like, only that world war 4 will be fought with stones and sticks¨

Yes! Most definitely, I'll be wearing a poppy. And, as many have already stated, it won't be only for the American forces, but for all who faught. Each and every year since I don't know when, I've always worn a poppy. When I was a little girl, my maternal g'mother made sure I had one. War can't be the answer to the be all/end all. It must stop!! Yes!! Most definitely, I'll be wearing a poppy!!

I'll be wearing a poppy as soon as I see somewhere selling them. I haven't seen any this year!

Ditto, Brian. I must call the local Legion and see where they are selling them.

My grandfather would never wear a poppy as he saw it as a glorification of war. I used to subscribe to that argument but eventually came to disagree with it.

I wear a poppy in respect and memory of those who made the ulitimate sacrifice in the Second World War. During those years my father was a member of the Young Communist League. Had the Nazis reached the UK, if he was lucky he would have got a bullet through the head. If he was unlucky, he would have been sent to one of Hitler's death camps. Either way, I would never have been born. I therefore owe those who fought and gave their lives in the cause of freedom everything, including my life itself.

I will be wearing a poppy but I shall also be wearing a white poppy for peace. This is no disrespect to the armed forces personnel, as some red top newspapers and Tory twits would have you believe. The white poppy stands for ALL who have died in wars, for all those who died because resources that could have saved them were spent on war instead and for all those who will continue to die until we learn to live together in peace.

"There is no road to peace; peace IS the road."
Gandhi

Found one! :o)

Leslie T...

What a wonderful bit of writing. Thanks so much for sharing.