SLESA Pins Poppy on Army Chief

Members of the Sri Lanka Ex-servicemen’s Association (SLESA) recently called at the Army Headquarters and formally inaugurated the forthcoming ‘Poppy Day’ (Remembrance Day) commemoration arrangements by pinning a Poppy flower on the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.

The ‘Poppy’ is the enduring symbol for commemoration of all military personnel who have died in battlefields since the first Word War, and the annual commemoration is held every year on 11th November at the cenotaph in the Vihara Maha Devi Park. The project kicked start a few days ago by pinning the first flower on HE Maithripala Sirisena, President and Commanderin-chief of the Armed Forces.

Major General Upul Perera (Retd) President, SLESA pinned the Poppy Day flag on the Commander of the Army in his office, and the Commander in return made a symbolic contribution towards the project. Those representatives, including Major General E.M.M Abanpola (Retd) SLESA, Vice President met the Commander of the Army and received his blessings for the project after sharing a couple of thoughts with him.

All arrangements are underway for the commemoration ceremony on the World Poppy Day at the War Heroes’ cenotaph at Vihara Maha Devi Park. The formal information to that effect was also communicated to the Commander during the same occasion.

The word ‘Poppy’ has become a familiar symbol of ‘Remembrance Day’ with the famous poem, ‘In Flanders Field’. Those Poppies as legends say blossomed across some of the battlefields of Flanders after the World War - I. Their brilliant red colour since then has been regarded the appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.