The Flanders Fields Poppy

Remembering

1914-1918 Reference

Poems

About the site

Although Moina Michael was not interested in personal reward or credit for her work, she did prize the citations and public recognition because they brought honour to Georgia and to a Georgia woman. Of the many tributes paid to Miss Michael for her services to disabled servicement these are a few.

• In 1929, to mark the 175th anniversary of Columbia University, Miss Moina Michael was the only woman featured in the anniversary edition of the Columbia Alumni News; she was an alumna of Columbia but also she was stationed at Hamilton Hall when she had the idea for the Memorial Poppy.

• In 1930 the Womens Auxiliary of the American Legion bestowed a medal for distinguished service to Moina Michael.

• Moina Michael was honoured by the State of Georgia as one of it's most famous women. In 1931 the honour of "Distinguished Citizen of Georgia" was conferred on her for her work in creating new enterprise in the United States, to the benefit of Georgia and also the entire nation. Her creation of the Poppy Memorial Days had made millions of dollars for the rehabilitation and employment of disabled servicemen.

• A marble bust of Moina Michael in the rotunda of the State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia, was unveiled in 1937 by the Georgia Department of the American Legion and its Auxiliary.

• In 1940 the American Legion voted a citation for distinguished service with a cash award of $100 a month for the rest of her life. This was in gratitude for the service she had devoted to the American Legion rehabilitation program through the Memorial Poppy idea.

Next page: Moina's Biography

Acknowledgements

The Miracle Flower, The Story of the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy, by Moina Michael

Copyright Joanna Legg & Graham Parker © 1999 All rights reserved