Oxford Village resident Heather Dalling once again combined her creative energy and patriotic spirit to produce an award-winning piece of art on behalf of a local organization dedicated to supporting veterans.

For the fifth consecutive year, Dalling’s work earned first place in the Buddy Poppy Display Contest at the 40th Annual Mid-Winter Conference for the Department of Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) held in Kalamazoo.

“It’s exciting, but it’s humbling at the same time,” said Dalling, a member of North Oakland VFW Auxiliary 334.

Entries in the display contest must somehow incorporate the Buddy Poppy, the official memorial flower of the VFW since the early 1920s. For almost a century, the red artificial flowers have been assembled by disabled and needy veterans. They are then distributed as part of nationwide, annual fund-raising efforts that benefit veterans and children.

The theme for this year’s contest was “United We Stand.”

Dalling’s display utilized Buddy Poppies as well as black card stock, tissue paper, foam board, glue and a light source  to create piece that’s meant to symbolize American unity.

The display features emblems representing all five branches of the United States military encircled by Americans, both children and adults, holding hands.

It also contains three vignettes – the iconic image of Marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II,  a soldier kneeling before a cross marking the grave of a fallen comrade and the famous “Spirit of ‘76,” featuring a fifer and two drummers representing patriots during the American Revolution.

“It took my breath away,” said Kathy Hubbard, president of North Oakland VFW Auxiliary 334. “I was just so impressed.”

Dalling hopes her display can in some small way help “draw people back together.”

She is “saddened” by how sharply divided the nation has become over political issues. Though she strongly supports everyone’s right to hold and express “their own opinions,” she’s also hoping people will strive to “find some kind of common ground,” regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.

Dalling believes supporting the troops and veterans is one of those things that can unite people because they’re “the reason we have the things we have and the opportunities that we have.”

“They stood up and protected our freedoms,” she said.

Dalling has family members currently serving in the military. Her brother, Shane Stone, is an officer in the navy and her nephew, Blake Cody, is in the army and stationed in South Korea.

Through genealogical research, Dalling discovered that a member of her family has served in every major American conflict since the War of Independence.

Her late stepfather, Oxford resident Ed Cline, was a Vietnam War veteran.

Dalling’s creation was one of 34 entries in this year’s Buddy Poppy Display Contest. She’s been submitting her work since 2014. She placed second that year, but has walked away with the gold every year since then. That doesn’t surprise Hubbard.

“I’ve never met a more talented, creative person in my life,” Hubbard said. “She’s very gifted.”

So as not to repeat any of her previous ideas, Dalling said she approaches each year’s contest “as if I’ve never done it before” and always strives to “try something new” in terms of techniques, materials, design, etc.

“I have no idea how she comes up with the things she does,” Hubbard said.

Between planning and labor, Dalling estimated she spent approximately 50 hours bringing this year’s display to life.

“She puts in a lot of time and energy,” Hubbard said

Chartered in September 2013, North Oakland VFW Auxiliary 334 meets on the second Tuesday of the month at LakePoint Community Church, 1550 W. Drahner Rd., in Oxford Township. Meetings begin at 7 p.m.

Auxiliary membership is open to both women and men who are at least 16 years old, U.S. citizens and are related to honorably discharged veterans, living or deceased, who are or were eligible for VFW membership.

Hubbard said the group currently has 121 members.