Veterans Day Ceremony and Memorial Rededication.
South St. Paul Gallagher Hanson VFW Post 295 and Auxiliary invites you, to the dedication ceremony of the Veteran’s Memorial at South St. Paul’s Oak Hill cemetery. One of our major projects is restoring this memorial in the veteran area of out city’s cemetery. This dream is finally becoming reality, it is a very special occasion as we celebrate the completion of this project. Please join us as we celebrate what we can accomplish together. Friday November 11, 2022, 9:30 am at Oak Hill Cemetery 3rd street north & 17th Ave N, South St Paul, MN 55075. Following the dedication ceremony, we will do our traditional Veterans Day toast (with nonalcoholic option) and other refreshments at Post 295 1401 Thompson Ave South St. Paul, MN 55075.
Buddy Poppy
Before Memorial Day in 1922, we conducted our first poppy distribution, becoming the first veterans' organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The poppy soon was adopted as the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, as it remains today.
During our 1923 encampment, we decided that VFW "Buddy"® Poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work to provide them with financial assistance. The next year, disabled veterans at the Buddy Poppy factory in Pittsburgh assembled VFW Buddy Poppies. The designation "Buddy Poppy" was adopted at that time.
In February 1924, we registered the name Buddy Poppy with the U.S. Patent Office. A certificate was issued on May 20, 1924, granting our organization all trademark rights in the name of Buddy under the classification of artificial flowers. We've made that trademark a guarantee that all poppies bearing that name and the VFW label are genuine products of the work of disabled and needy veterans. No other organization, firm or individual can legally use the name Buddy Poppy.
Today, our Buddy Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals.
The VFW Buddy Poppy program provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home For Children. Show your support today.
If you would like to contribute to the Buddy Poppy program, go to the donate button below and choose Veterans Relief Fund.
As many in South St. Paul may know, we do not run a bar anymore. We are still a post. We are still actively helping the community and veteran programs in our area. Like many other VFW posts we rely heavily on donations i.e., Poppy distribution proceeds.
VFW Programs
Veterans Relief Fund i.e., vet home and hospital activities, holiday sponsorships and veterans in need.
Youth Programs i.e., Voice of Democracy, Patriots Pen, scholarships, youth camps and picnics.
Please DONATE NOW to give to VFW programs. You can pick the program you wish to donate to. Any amount is appreciated.
