1948 Founder Of The Memorial Poppy Moina Michael 3¢ Stamps

Issue Date: November 9, 1948
City: Athens, Georgia
Quantity: 64,079,500
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10 ½
Color: Rose pink

Moina Michael, featured on U.S. #977, was a World War I volunteer and a primary contributor to the use of poppies as a memorial for veterans of that conflict. Michael was so inspired by John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields, that she wore a red poppy every day as a symbol of remembrance. The opening lines of McCrae’s poem are, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses row on row.” It’s one of the most famous wartime poems. Michael wrote a poem in response called We Shall Keep the Faith. After the war, Michael, a professor at the University of Georgia, raised money for disabled veterans in need by selling silk poppies. The American Legion Auxiliary adopted the poppy as a tribute to war veterans. “Remembrance Day,” a United Kingdom holiday similar to the American “Veteran’s Day,” is sometimes referred to as “Poppy Day.”