On Memorial Day, 600,000 is not just a number and the poppy is not just a flower.
Put the two together and something remarkable is created.
That something is USAA’s Poppy Wall of Honor, which returned to the National Mall for its sixth year, according to WTOP News. The Wall of Honor is a temporary installation that includes 600,000 poppies — one for each service member who lost their lives serving their country since World War I.
The poppy is a symbol of remembrance.
The wall hold a special significance to Allen “Doc” Hoe, a Vietnam veteran. He donated an American flag he received in battle.
Hoe was the sole survivor from his squad in an attack on Mother’s Day in 1968. He lost 18 team members that day.
When Hoe’s son was fighting in Iraq, he asked his father to send the flag so he could honor his team.
“He sends the flag to his son, and the very day he gets the flag, the son loses his life in combat, and that flag was savored and brought back to Mr. Hoe,” retired Air Force veteran and USAA military affairs member Shelina Frey said.
“Mr. Hoe has held onto this flag for over 55 years, and he was gracious enough to let USAA use it on display. And this is the first time that flag has ever been out of his possession,” Frey said.
Frey noted the wall is more than a bunch of poppies.
“It’s not just a wall of flowers; it’s a wall of individuals who gave their life so that we can enjoy Memorial Day. And so, we just want people on Memorial Day to just pause for a minute, take a moment in time and reflect on enjoying these freedoms because somebody thought enough of this country to put their lives on the line,” she said.
Juan C. Andrade, president and CEO of USAA, agreed with Frey, Stars and Stripes reported.
“Memorial Day holds a special place in the hearts of Americans as we unite to honor our fallen heroes,” Andrade said. “Let us remember the sacrifices they made, support their loved ones, and cherish the freedoms our nation’s service members have so bravely defended. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II and the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. We must never forget the enduring cost of freedom and the profound impact these, and all, conflicts have had on our country.”
John Schoon, a former Army staff sergeant with the Third Army, Central Command, knows what it is like to come home from a war as others did not.
“[The war] still stands with me, because nobody wins the war,” he said. “The hardest part of the war is coming home. You have to deal with everything. You have to deal with the ones you lost that you never forget … I can at least come here to pay my respects to my brethren and my sisters at Section 60 at Arlington [National Cemetery] and see my buddy’s name on the wall, knowing that I followed in his footsteps and he can’t talk to me … I have guilt, self-guilt. Why did I make it home?”
