The Purple Poppy

By Rebecca Field

Every year, on November 11, we gather together in a moment of silence to acknowledge

and reflect upon the sacrifices made by millions of people for their country. But many of us

forget a crucial part of World War I and World War II - animals. According to the Imperial War

Museums, over 16 million animals served in World War I. Dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, birds,

even pigeons, played a part in both the first and second world wars. These animals were used to

comfort soldiers, transport food, water, and medical supplies, send messages across long

distances, or as I talk about in the following story I wrote, locate bombs. Sadly, many of those

animals didn’t make it through the war. In 2006, the purple poppy became a symbol to

commemorate the animals who served in the war. The stories of these animals are rarely heard,

and it’s time that changes. I hope the following story will educate you and encourage you to

remember these forgotten heroes.

A loud bang pierced the night. The bombs echoed through the still air. I knew they were

far away from us, but that didn’t stop the hairs on the back of my neck from rising. A small

whine escaped your lips. I scratched behind your ear and you looked up at me with your innocent

brown eyes. “It’s okay Poppy,” I whispered, trying to sound calm. My friend George tapped my

shoulder, “Pete, it’s time.” He said gently. I looked down at you. You were my best friend and

brought me courage and strength in dark times. I couldn’t bear the thought of the landmines

exploding underneath your soft paws. George put a firm but friendly hand on my shoulder. “It’s

going to be okay,” his voice was steady and sure. “You don’t know that,” I said, holding back

tears. George stayed silent. I took a deep breath and forced the words out of my mouth, “Go,

Poppy.” You gazed up at me and then stepped forward along with several other dogs and walked

across the war zone.

We both fought for Canadian peace and freedom in this awful war. Your job was to walk

over the battlefield before the soldiers and sniff out the landmines that could kill you. Tears

welled up in my eyes, and silently poured down my face. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed.

God, please don’t let anything happen to Poppy. Let everything be okay.

“Pete, they’re okay,” George’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “There were no

landmines.” I opened my eyes and ran. I saw your small figure sprinting towards me too. Your

tongue flopped out of your mouth, and you wore the same goofy grin as always. I fell to my

knees, throwing my arms around your neck. I sobbed, “Poppy, you’re such a good boy.” You

licked my ear and drank all my tears. “I love you. I love you so much,” I said. You let out a small

bark. A smile danced across my lips. George laughed, “I think he loves you too, Pete!”

A few years later, the war was over and you were slowing down with old age, but I guess

we both were. We both had invisible scars from the war. We would both remember the terrors we

had seen, and the things we did. The war had taken George with it, along with many other

soldiers, fighting for peace and freedom. Now, I wore a red poppy for him and the other soldiers

and a purple poppy for the animals who had served our country. I closed my eyes for a moment

of silence remembering the war, everything that had happened to us, George, and how you risked

your life for mine. Even though the two minutes of silence was over, my eyes were still closed.

George, the other soldiers, and animals deserved all the time in the world to be remembered.

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; their lives for peace and freedom. Lest we forget.