The tradition was inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields" by Colonel John McCrae. In 1923, the VFW decided that our poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans, providing them with a way to earn a living while recovering.

The name "Buddy"® was actually coined by the veterans themselves while they were making them in a workshop in Pittsburgh. It was a tribute to their "buddies" who never made it home from the trenches of Europe. In 1924, the VFW officially trademarked the name "Buddy Poppy" with the U.S. Patent Office, ensuring that every poppy distributed by a VFW Post is a genuine product of veteran handiwork. Today, millions of these little red flowers are still assembled by veterans in VA hospitals and state veterans' homes.