New Jersey town honors Veterans with Centennial Poppy Show
MORRISTOWN, N.J. – It’s a special day for Lynn Smith, who wears a small flower for a big reason.
“These people sacrificed their lives for us,” said Smith of Phillipsburg. “They deserve all the recognition in the world. If I can wear a Poppy and show them some love, that’s what I’m going to do.”
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The Poppy took on its symbolism of memory and hope after World War I. On Friday, veterans came to grocery stores across Morris County to make sure everyone had a chance to wear their own.
“They think about the veterans that’s in their family,” said Tom Miller, who served in the Marine Corps’ 2nd battalion in Vietnam in 1965.
“I lost a lot of good friends over in Vietnam,” said Miller. [Memorial Day] means time to go out, plant flags in respect for what they’ve done.”
As his American Legion Post 5351 Whippany hands out these tokens of remembrance a few miles away, their brothers and sisters at Post 59 Morristown are doing their part on the day that the American Legion recognizes as the centennial Poppy Day.
“This is our 100th anniversary,” said Post 59 Commander Jim Koons, “and we’ve taken pride out there to share with everyone the knowledge of what a Poppy is.”
Each year, the American Legion hands out the flower with the request that a person make a donation to causes benefiting living and deceased veterans and their families.
“By helping to donate to this cause, it is a sense of pride and ownership that you are supporting and honoring those veterans who died for our country.”
On the centennial, Morristown officials came by to offer Post 59 a proclamation of this day being National Poppy Day in Morristown.
“I hope to see everyone wearing this,” said Koons. “This is what it’s all about.”
If you weren’t able to make a donation Friday, Koons says donations can be mailed to:
Post 59 Morristown
P.O. Box 2103 Morristown, NJ 07960-2103
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