Veterans plan November events

By Meghan Erkkinen

The Signal
merkkinen@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: October 23, 2008

The local post of Veter-ans of Foreign Wars (VFW) will be holding two events in November.

On Nov. 7 and 8, VFW Post 11401 will be giving out poppies for their annual Buddy Poppy drive. They will be collecting donations to help support their various activities in the local community.

The event will be held at Milton’s Safeway and Albertson’s stores from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

According to VFW Post 11401 Commander Jack Chandler, the event is held in remembrance of veterans from all wars. The Buddy Poppy drive was started in World War I and inspired by Col. John McCrae, who wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields.” The image of poppies growing in the field where so many perished offers a sense of hope, and inspired the annual Buddy Poppy event.

The first nation-wide event was held in 1922. Each year, more than 13 million people purchase and wear a VFW Buddy Poppy. Patients in veterans’ hospitals throughout the United States put the poppies together.

The VFW will also be hosting a Veterans’ Day ceremony Nov. 11 at Milton’s Triangle Park Veteran’s Memorial. The event will feature a keynote speaker, along with Milton Mayor Katrina Asay, music and a color guard. The event will take place at 1 p.m., and every community member is invited to attend.

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