Poppy Wall of Honor with 645,000 red poppies remembers fallen service members for Memorial Day

WASHINGTON -- This Memorial Day weekend, a massive display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., honors the life of every service member lost since World War I.

The Poppy Wall of Honor has returned to the nation's capital for the second year. It contains 645,000 red poppies, a widely recognized symbol honoring fallen service members, within a large, translucent box that measures 133 feet long and 8.5 feet tall.

Poppies included in the display come from the VFW Buddy Poppy program, which pays disabled veterans in VA hospitals to assemble the flowers, and the American Legion Family.

In addition to the physical poppies contained within the memorial, there are also on-site kiosks that allow visitors to dedicate a digital poppy to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Those who cannot visit the memorial in person can dedicate a digital poppy online.

The USAA-sponsored exhibit drew more than 15,000 visitors last year. For 2019, it also includes a panel commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the day the Allies invaded Normandy during World War II. That invasion alone resulted in thousands of American casualties.

"Memorial Day is our opportunity to remember and acknowledge those who've made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, protecting our principles and our way of life," USAA CEO Stuart Parker said in a news release. "The poppy flower is the symbol of remembrance, and by bringing awareness through our Poppy Wall of Honor, we have created a powerful way to honor these fallen heroes through action."

The Poppy Wall of Honor is open to the public Friday, May 24, through Sunday, May 26, on the southwestern side of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.