Military Times: Recipients look back at their service on National Purple Heart Day
By Jonathan Lehrfeld
The National Purple Heart Honor Mission, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring the sacrifice of service members who have received the Purple Heart, held a celebration yesterday at the birthplace of the decoration, Gen. George Washington’s historic headquarters in Newburgh, New York. The Honor Mission also helped establish the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, located in nearby New Windsor, NY, which manages a national registry and preserves the stories of the nearly two million Purple Heart recipients.
“Today we come together to honor the service and sacrifice of those great Americans on National Purple Heart Day, and recommit ourselves to ensuring a whole new generation of Americans remember their courage and never forget,” said retired Army Col. Russ Vernon, the organization’s executive director, during the ceremony. Vernon served from 1976 until retiring in 2004 from the Army National Guard.