Poppy Wall of Honor pays tribute to over 600,000 service members

JACKSON, Tenn. — Memorial Day weekend is officially here and many people plan to celebrate in different ways.

We spoke with people who are in the nation’s capital about how they are honoring this holiday.

There is a giant wall in Washington D.C. that remembers many fallen service members throughout the years.

This wall was put up for Memorial Day weekend, but before we learn more about it, we should talk about the history of the holiday.

“Memorial Day was designated in 1971. It is an opportunity for America to pause and remember those that paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said April Beldo-Lilley, director of enterprise events & protocol at USAA.

Anyone can visit to look at this wall. Beldo-Lilley explains a bit more about what this wall means and consists of.

“We have an exhibit, a two sided exhibit, 133 feet long, 8 feet high, and on one side is a sea of poppy flowers. Each one of those flowers, 600,000, represents a life that was lost since World War I,” said Beldo-Lilley.

So, why do we use the poppy flower? It turns out, it actually has a meaning that ties into this very well.

“The poppy flower is the international symbol of remembrance. It was petitioned back in 1920 by Moina Michael. She wanted to make sure that everybody understood why we pause on Memorial Day and it became the symbol across the world,” said Beldo-Lilley.

If you would like to get involved, you can upload a photo of a loved one who has served and sacrificed with the hashtag #poppyinmemory. It will be included as a part of a composite image of military member photos displayed across a background field of poppies.

For more information on the exhibit click here.

For more U.S. news, click here.