OZARKS FOX A.M. AFTER
THIS.
TODAY I AM TALKING TO JOHN
BIRD RETIRED NAVY AND SENIOR
VICE PRESIDENT AT USAA.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
WE ARE TALKING WITH THE
UPCOMING MEMORIAL DAY, EVERYONE
ENJOYS A DAY OFF BUT THAT'S NOT
THE BACK STORY.
TELL US HOW MEMORIAL DAY
STARTED.
SURE.
A VERY GOOD POINT.
HALF AMERICANS DON'T KNOW THE
REAL MEANING OF MEMORIAL DAY.
THEY CONFUSE IT WITH VETERAN'S
DAY. MANY THINK IT'S SUMMER
BARBECUES AND MATTRESS SALES.
THE HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY
GHOST OF THE CIVIL WAR WHEN
THERE WAS A TRADITION TO
DECORATE THE GRAVES OF THE
FALLEN AND THEY CALLED IT
DECORATION DAY BY PROCLAMATION.
FAST FORWARD TO 1967 THERE WAS
A LAW MADE THAT SAID THE LAST
MONDAY IN MAY WE WOULD USE AS A
DAY TO COMMEMORATE AMERICAN MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN UNIFORM
AND LOST THEIR LIVES IN COMBAT.
IT'S A SACRED DAY TO REMEMBER
THAT MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE
THEIR LIVES SO WE COULD ENJOY
OUR FREEDOMS.
AND SOME PEOPLE HONOR THEIR
FAMILIES DURING THAT TIME AS
WELL.
WE HAVE USED THAT AS A TIME TO
HONOR OUR OWN FAMILIES AND THIS
YEAR THERE WILL NOT BE PICNICS
AND PARADES WE ARE USED TO
BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN
THE COUNTRY.
HOW IS THIS GOING TO CHANGE THE
WAY THINGS ARE?
YOU ARE RIGHT EVEN OUR
NATIONAL CEMETERY THEY ARE ONLY
OPEN IT UP TO FAMILY WHO HAVE
FALLEN SO THEY'RE OFFERING
THINGS VIRTUALLY AT USAA IS
TAKING UP THE SAME CHARGE.
WE KNOW WE CAN TOGETHER
PHYSICALLY FOR A PARADE OR SOME
OF THE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO
DO FOR RECOGNITION AND
COMMEMORATION SO WE SET UP A
WEBSITE POPPY AND MEMORY.com IF
YOU VISIT THAT YOU CAN SEE THE
POPPY WALL THAT WE NORMALLY SET
UP YOU CAN DEDICATE A POPPY BY
SNAPCHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT HOW
TO MAKE A POPPY WITH SIMPLE
MATERIALS.
LOTS OF HISTORY.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A
MOMENT AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO
GAVE SO MUCH FOR US.
I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE POPPY
BEING ASSEMBLED FROM MEMBERS OF
THE FALLEN.
TELLS HOW THAT STORY CAME TO
BE.
I HAVE ONE ON MY LAPEL.
IT'S A GREAT STORY.
IT GOES BACK TO A SAD BEGINNING
AND THE WORLD WAR I THE
CANADIAN ARMY DOCTOR LOST HIS
FRIEND AND BURIED HIM IN
FLANDERS FIELD FOR THE NEXT DAY
HE WROTE A POEM IN FLANDERS
FIELD.
SAYING HOW THE POPPIES GROW
AMONG THE CROSSES ROW ON ROW
AND THAT INSPIRED A LOT OF
PEOPLE AND IN PARTICULAR
AMERICAN MONA MICHAELS WHO
WROTE A CORRESPONDING POEM
THREE YEARS LATER AND SHE MADE
THE CHARGE TO SAY WE SHOULD ALL
WEAR A POPPY IN REMEMBRANCE.
SHE DID SHE GOT THE AMERICAN
LEGION ON BOARD IN 1928 BECAME
THE UNIVERSAL SYMBOL OF
REMEMBRANCE NOT ONLY IN THE US.
CANADA, THE UK, AUSTRALIA.
WE WEAR IT ON MEMORIAL DAY BUT
IT IS A SYMBOL BASED ON THE
POEM IN FLANDERS FIELD TO
REMEMBER THOSE FALLEN.
THAT JUST GIVES ME A VISUAL.
I CAN SEE THAT AND SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HONORED AT THE
WALL 645,000.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WALLET HOW
PEOPLE CAN MONITOR.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO USAA WAS
FOUNDED BY THE MILITARY FOR THE
MILITARY DECIDED TO DO
SOMETHING VERY VISUAL AND WE
PUT TOGETHER A WALL 133 FEET
LONG AND 90 FEET HIGH BILL WITH
645 SYNTHETIC POPPIES ONE
REPRESENTING EVERY AMERICAN
KILLED IN COMBAT SINCE WORLD
WAR I AND WE DISPLAYED IT ON
THE NATIONAL MALL THE FOOT OF
LINCOLN BY THE REFLECTION POOL.
THE SHEER WE CAN'T DO THAT SO
WE HAVE A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN
SEE PICTURES OF THE WALL YOU
CAN DEDICATE A POPPY AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO GO OUT OF YOUR
WAY TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS ON
MONDAY MEMORIAL DAY TO REMEMBER
THOSE AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN,
HEROES, WE ARE MOURNING THEIR
LOSS BUT WE CELEBRATE THE FACT
WE HAVE SUCH GREAT AMERICANS
WILLING TO SACRIFICE THEIR
LIVES FOR US.
IS THERE A WAY TO DONATE OR
IS THIS JUST AN ADMIRATION FOR
THE FALLEN?
PURELY THE LATTER, IT'S NOT
ABOUT DONATIONS.
JUST ABOUT RECOGNIZING,
REMEMBERING AND RAISING
AWARENESS AND BEING THANKFUL
FOR THOSE FALLEN MEN AND WOMEN.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING TO ME
TODAY FOR YOUR SERVICE.
HAVE A GREAT MEMORIAL DAY
WEEKEND.