Which U.S. veterans’ organization is best known for distributing Buddy Poppies around Veterans Day?

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is the U.S. veterans’ organization best known for distributing Buddy Poppies around Veterans Day.

The VFW’s Buddy Poppy program uses artificial red poppies to raise money for veterans’ welfare, rehabilitation, and support programs. Volunteers commonly offer the flowers in public places around Memorial Day and Veterans Day, inviting donations rather than selling the poppies at a fixed price.

The tradition developed from the red poppy’s association with World War I remembrance, especially after the publication of John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.” The VFW adopted the Buddy Poppy as an official memorial flower in the 1920s and later supported production by disabled and needy veterans.

A common mix-up is confusing the VFW with the American Legion, another major U.S. veterans’ organization. Both support veterans and may participate in remembrance events, but the Buddy Poppy program is particularly identified with the VFW.