On May 24, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) dedicated a World War I remembrance garden - made up of more than 1,600 poppies covering more than a third of an acre - at an Interstate 70 rest stop in Madison County, just west of Columbus.
The project is part of the Highway Poppy Program developed by ODOT and its counterpart in North Carolina; in the latter, its permanent Wildflower Program along highways has planted 240 acres of poppies.
An initiative of the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, the garden is meant to commemorate the centennial of the end of the war in 1918. “Ohio played a major role in WWI and we owe these brave Ohioans a debt of gratitude,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “This red poppy garden is a beautiful way to honor them and educate travelers about their service to our great country.”
American Legion Department of Ohio Commander Stanley Pleasant spoke at the dedication, and Legionnaires assisted with presenting the colors.
