Red Poppies and Peace Since World War I, poppies have been a symbol of remembrance at Memorial Day (May 30 this year). The red poppy was used to symbolize the blood of those who died in service to their countries. The idea started in 1918 when American Moina Michael read the poem "In Flanders Fields," written by Canadian John McCrae in 1915 during World War I. She began wearing poppies in memoriam and sold them to others, using the proceeds to help veterans. After World War I, veterans sold artificial red poppies to help raise money for war orphans. Today, donations to veterans' groups are often marked with a token paper red poppy.   In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row. –Lt. Colonel John McCrae (1872–1918)