‘Poppy Day’ Remembrance Begins

Precursor to the forthcoming World Poppy Day that recollects memories of world-wide fallen War Heroes, the Sri Lanka Ex- Servicemen’s Association, the prime mover behind commemorative arrangements inaugurated the project this afternoon (19) by pinning the first Poppy flower on the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva at the Army Headquarters.

Secretary General of the Sri Lanka Ex-servicemen’s Association, Rear Admiral S. Samaratunga (retd) and Major General Wasantha Perera (retd) were associated with the occasion at the Commander’s office.

All arrangements are underway for the commemoration ceremony of the World Poppy Day at the War Heroes’ cenotaph at Vihara Maha Devi Park, Colombo on 8 November. The formal information to that effect was also intimated to the Commander during the pinning ceremony.

The word Poppy has become a familiar symbol of ‘Remembrance Day’ with the famous poem ‘In Flanders Field’. Those Poppies as legends said blossomed across some of the battlefields of Flanders after the World War - I. Their brilliant red colour since then has been regarded the appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.