American Legion Auxiliary Awarded Certificate

Members of the American Legion Auxiliary, Jr. Auxiliary, and Legion members gathered as Oskaloosa Mayor David Krutzfeldt signed a proclamation designating May 24, 2019 as Poppy Day in Oskaloosa.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Members of the American Legion Auxiliary, and American Legion Post #34 were on hand as Oskaloosa Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt signed a certificate in Appreciation of and Recognition for Active Participation in National Poppy Day.

National Poppy Day will be May 24, 2019, in honor of our fallen.

The proclamation reads as follows.

Expressing support for the designation of May 24, 2019, as National Poppy Day in Oskaloosa and recognizing the importance of honoring those who have worn our nation’s uniform, and

WHEREAS, poppies are worn and displayed as a symbolic tribute to our fallen and the future of living veterans and servicemembers, and

WHEREAS, at the end of World War I, The American Legion adopted the poppy as a symbol of freedom and the blood sacrificed by troops in wartimes. The symbolic use of the poppy comes from the poem, “In Flanders Fields,” which movingly begins, “In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row,” referring to the poppies that sprang up in the churned-up earth of newly dug soldiers’ graves over parts of Belgium and France, and

WHEREAS, the American Legion family has long utilized the red poppy as its official flower, symbolizing the blood shed by those who have served in our U.S. military, and it is fitting that as The American Legion celebrates its 100th anniversary, they expand the meaning and symbolism of the poppy, mirroring the manner in which the poppy is symbolically showcased in England and Canada in celebratory fashion on their Remembrance Day, also known as Armistice Day and Poppy Day, and

WHEREAS, wearing a poppy will unite citizens from across the country who decide to show their patriotism, and

WHEREAS, May 24, 2019, would be an appropriate date to designate as National Poppy Day.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Mayor David Krutzfeldt-
(1) Supports the designation of May 24, 2019, as National Poppy Day, and
(2) Encourages all citizens and residents and visitors in Oskaloosa to join in observing this day to honor every servicemember who has died in the name of liberty, freedom, and democracy while also showing their support for living veterans, servicemembers, and their families.