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Poppy for VE Day

No. The poppy has been associated with and essentially dedicated to Remembrance Day. If you begin to associate the poppy with other events, such as VE Day, the significance of the poppy will be lost. It will simply lose its meaning.

 
infamous_p said:
No. The poppy has been associated with and essentially dedicated to Remembrance Day. If you begin to associate the poppy with other events, such as VE Day, the significance of the poppy will be lost. It will simply lose its meaning.

Well the Vets in Holland on parade today along with their currently serving CAF member escorts were wearing poppies.  So I would say that yes, for VE Day parade the poppy was authorized.  The British Legion originally specified that the poppy was used to commemorate Armistice Day but we aren't Brits.  The RCL website says it is a symbol of Remembrance and that would lead me to believe that it is appropriate for wear at any ceremony relating to remembrance.
 
To continue on AmmoTech's point, many veterans, politicians and current soldiers (including the CDS) were wearing poppies today in Ottawa.
 
infamous_p said:
No. The poppy has been associated with and essentially dedicated to Remembrance Day.

The dress regs support this: it's only auth. for wear with uniform for the ten days (or two weeks -- I'm not sure which) up to Remembrance Day.
 
Neill McKay said:
The dress regs support this: it's only auth. for wear with uniform for the ten days (or two weeks -- I'm not sure which) up to Remembrance Day.

Actually the dress regs authorize it's wear during the two weeks prior to Nov 11.  This means (to me) that no other approval is need to wear it.  Authority to change is with CDS/ADM(HR-Mil) who is advised by the Environmental Commanders.  Local commanders can also ensure standardization on any occasion.  It's flexible, if a regulation doesn't seem appropriate then seek authority to change it or suspend it.

The role of the poppy is rememberance, the role of the dress regs is to make sure that we don't look like a gypsy caravan on parades.  Which is more important?
 
I don't see the issue here. We don't have VE parades/memorials like thisevery year and odds are this will most likely be the last one of this size.

For those you seem to have their panties in bunch over whether or not the regulations support or approve this, I'm sure that between them the PM, Minister of Defence, GG and CDS have the power and authority to ammend the appropriate dress regs for this occaison.

IIRC poppies are also worn (or were when I was there) on July 1st in Newfoundland at their memorial services.
 
pi-r-squared said:
Should a Poppy be worn for Victory in Europe services?

AmmoTech90 said:
Well the Vets in Holland on parade today along with their currently serving CAF member escorts were wearing poppies.   So I would say that yes, for VE Day parade the poppy was authorized.   The British Legion originally specified that the poppy was used to commemorate Armistice Day but we aren't Brits.   The RCL website says it is a symbol of Remembrance and that would lead me to believe that it is appropriate for wear at any ceremony relating to remembrance.

It's a good question and a good answer but it begs a question: should we, must we remember our war dead in some special way, a way not available to e.g. veterans?

First it is important to understand that, in law and in the mindset of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, our war dead are not veterans unless they had already gained that status by service in some other war.

The image of the poppy, blowing â ?between the crosses, row on rowâ ? was meant, very specifically to refer to, and only to, the dead: â Å“We are the dead.   Short days ago ...â ? and so on.

The GG and CDS may and should do as they see fit; it may be time to change our minds to forget our dead and honour, instead, the survivors â “ they vote, after all.
 
Good points Edward. From what I saw of the services on TV it seemed that the idea was to take a moment to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice within the overall celebrations of the event. Therefore the poppie seemed appropriate.



 
It should also be pointed out that Rememberance day is officially May 5th in Holland, Not November 11th.

 
old medic said:
It should also be pointed out that Rememberance day is officially May 5th in Holland, Not November 11th.

Actually - May 4th is Remembrance Day in the Netherlands - May 5th is Liberation Day, as fol:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Netherlands has its own way of commemorating the Second World War and celebrating the country's liberation from five years of occupation. Unlike most countries, it sets aside two days to mark these events, Remembrance Day and Liberation Day.

Since the end of the Second World War, the Dutch have honoured the victims of war without large military parades. On 4 May each year, people all over the country gather at local war memorials, and at 8pm the entire country observes a two-minute silence. All these events are broadcast live on television and radio.

A national ceremony is held in Amsterdam, with a memorial service at the historic Nieuwe Kerk in Dam Square, followed by the laying of wreaths at the foot of the national war memorial. The Queen, members of parliament and representatives of those affected by the war all attend.

Three special wreaths are placed: one for members of the Resistance, one for victims of persecution and one for civilian casualties. A separate wreath is laid for those who fell in Asia, and another for those who lost their lives in the line of duty. The close of the ceremonies then signals the start of Liberation Day festivities, commemorating Germany's capitulation on 5 May 1945.

War veterans gather in Wageningen, where the historic documents were signed, and then parade through the city in celebration of the anniversary of liberty regained. Special Liberation Day events are organised all over the country, but two highlights include the official launch of the celebrations (held in a different part of the country each year) and the open-air concert to mark their conclusion (traditionally held on the Amstel River).
 
My bad.

I was skiming web extracts and not looking at the pages, here's a good link on it:

http://www.holland.com/us/index.html?page=http://www.holland.com/us/special/ww/4en5mei.html
 
Poppies are a sign of rememberance, not necessarily for Rememberance Day in Canada. I have seen them worn on 19 Aug (Dieppe Raid anniversary) and on 6 June (Normanday Invasion anniversary), plus here in Australia on 25 April (Gallipoli Landing anniversary) and 11 Nov too.

Australians traditionally also were a sprig of rosemary on their lapels, etc, as this is also a sign of rememberance, as there was many rosemary bushes on the craggy cliffs and hills on the Gallipoli peninsula. On ANZAC Day I wear both a poppy and a sprig of rosemary.

I would assume the NFLD Regt wears a poppy on 01 July to remember their tragic loss in the Battle of the Somme, on 01 July, in 1916.

Regards,

Wes
 
old medic said:
... here's a good link on it:

http://www.holland.com/us/index.html?page=http://www.holland.com/us/special/ww/4en5mei.html

Excellent link - thanks!  (the one I used/found was so crummy ... I didn't bother posting mine ... ha!)
 
Maybe if we had some type of veteran's pin to wear on our uniform it would make things better.... :D
 
I have been wearing a Poppy with a Canadian Flag in the centre since last November. I intend to wear it every day during The Year of the Veteran. As to a lapel pin we already have those and most people have not a clue to what they mean.
 
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