After World War I, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote a poem, "In Flanders Fields," and spoke of red poppies that grew around the white crosses which were planted into fields of only dirt and mud where soldiers were buried. It wasn't long before the poppies became a symbol of the blood shed by those soldiers, and by 1920, the American Legion named the poppy the official flower for veterans.

Later, paper poppies were being made as a way for disabled veterans to make a living. Now, the poppy is considered a remembrance flower.

For more than 50 years, American Legion posts nationwide have been purchasing these crepe poppies, which are still being made by disabled veterans. The posts gather and hand them out to people in the community.

"The poppies are never sold," said Marsha Floyd, a member of the Covington American Legion Auxiliary, Post 32. "But we do ask for donations. All the money that gets collected has to be kept in a separate account and used only for spending on veterans and children."

The Covington American Legion will be at the Covington Kmart and Walmart locations to hand out poppies tomorrow, Nov. 10. Everyone is invited to come and get more information.