BATAVIA, Ohio — Clermont County’s honorary historian traced the century-old history of the red poppy as a symbol of military remembrance during the Nov. 2 Board of Commissioners meeting, tying the flower’s origins to a county series marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Gary Knepp, the county’s honorary historian, delivered a presentation titled “Poppy Day” before the three-member board, which is led by President Bonnie Batchler, the county said in a social media post. Knepp traced the tradition to World War I and “In Flanders Fields,” the poem written by John McCrae, a Canadian military physician who served as a field surgeon in Belgium during the war.
McCrae’s poem, published in 1915, later inspired American educator Moina Michael to campaign for the poppy as a symbol of remembrance and a way to support veterans and their families, according to the county. The American Legion adopted the red poppy as its official memorial flower in 1920, cementing its place as a national emblem of sacrifice that is still worn and distributed around Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
Knepp has served as Clermont County’s honorary historian, an appointment made by the Board of Commissioners, and is a longtime Milford-area attorney and author of several books on the county’s history. He previously taught history and political science as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College and led the county’s Underground Railroad research project, which developed the Clermont County Freedom Trail.
The “Poppy Day” talk was the latest installment of “An American Moment,” a feature series produced through America 250 Clermont, an initiative of the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau tied to the nationwide celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026. The initiative has included historical murals, a history and museum passport program, heritage tree plantings and a series of educational articles highlighting people, places and events that shaped the county and the nation.
The presentation came roughly a week before Veterans Day, observed Nov. 11, when poppies are traditionally worn and distributed in honor of those who served.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Clermont County government.