Afghan Memorial Flower Patch (PVC)
Afghan Memorial Flower Patch (PVC)
3in (7.6cm), waterproof patch with hook-velcro backing honouring veterans of the Global War on Terror.
As we all wear our poppies for the annual remembrance period leading up to Remembrance Day on 11 Nov, a great desire for change has been growing amongst the veteran community in this country. For years the Royal Canadian Legion has claimed total ownership of the poppy. This organization is supposed to be a veteran support network, instead it bullies and files lawsuits against any veteran that tries to use the poppy without their explicit consent. The Legion forgets that they don't own the spirit of what the poppy represents, and to attack veterans for using it is grossly unacceptable. They have lost the plot.
Today we introduce the Afghan Memorial Flower. In consultation with numerous Afghanistan combat veterans this design is based directly on the flower of the Afghan opium poppy our service members fought through. This design is for you, the veteran. It is free and open source for any veteran, veteran business, organization, or charitable organization to use. I'm never going to sue you for doing so.
This symbol is not intended to replace the original poppy, nor diminish everything it represents. The poppy is an international symbol for veterans and should remain that way, unfortunately in Canada one organization feels they can weaponize it. This new symbol is for the current generation of veterans to be allowed to use a symbol of Remembrance as they see fit.