The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor – a temporary installation honoring the more than 645,000 American servicemembers who gave their lives in service to our nation since World War I – will return to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day weekend.
New this year, the Poppy Wall of Honor will feature a special panel to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S.’s exit from the Vietnam War, and a digital panel that will display individual remembrances that have been aggregated with #PoppyInMemory.
“Memorial Day weekend has long served as the unofficial start to summer with many Americans getting together and enjoying the long weekend. However, it’s important to pause and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday – to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. John Bird, senior vice president of Military Affairs at USAA.
The Poppy Wall of Honor is 133 feet long, stands 8-1/2 feet tall and contains a two-sided exhibit experience. Visitors can expect to learn more about the true meaning of Memorial Day, the poppy flower and conflicts since WWI. More than 645,000 poppy flowers provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars' Buddy Poppies and The American Legion's Memorial Poppies fill one side of the wall, representing the lives lost since WWI.
“As we mark fifty years since the end of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, USAA’s Poppy Wall of Honor will pay special tribute to the heroes of that war who didn’t make it home, while allowing visitors to pay tribute to all the heroes, the more than 645,000 service members, who have died in service to our nation since World War I,” Bird said.
Since its appearance publicly on the National Mall in 2017, nearly 40,000 visitors have visited the Poppy Wall of Honor, paying their respects to fallen military and learning more about the holiday.
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The Poppy Wall of Honor will be on display from May 26 through May 28 on the National Mall at the base of the Lincoln Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and the Korean War Memorial.
The exhibit may be viewed on Friday, May 26 from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Saturday, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Sunday, May 28 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition to the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USAA is bringing two smaller poppy exhibits to additional U.S. cities. The USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va. will host the two exhibits and will offer a similar educational and remembrance experience to the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall. More details and hours can be found here.
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Those not able to view the exhibits in person can contribute to the Memorial Day conversation by honoring a loved one or sharing a remembrance using #PoppyInMemory in your social. Dedications can be viewed here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.