Press Release: Local Purple Heart Recipient Roger Hoehn to be Honored During National Tribute Event

St. Charles Marine Corps Veteran Chosen as Missouri’s Representative for the 2026 Purple Heart Patriot Project

(NEWBURGH, NY) – A local two-time Purple Heart recipient has been chosen to be one of the nation’s 2026 Purple Heart Patriot Project honorees. U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Roger Hoehn will represent his fellow Purple Heart heroes as Missouri’s representative at the multi-day tribute to the courage and sacrifice of America’s combat wounded. The Purple Heart Patriot Project is a program of the National Purple Heart Honor Mission.

Selected from among hundreds of nominees and deserving candidates for their courage and service, both in combat and in their communities, this annual all-expenses paid ‘Honor Flight’-style salute will bring together Purple Heart recipients from across conflicts and generations. The multi-day Patriot Project Mission, schedule for April 27 – May 1, 2026, will feature visits to historic sites, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; a private tour of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor; time at historic Washington’s Headquarters, where the Badge of Military Merit originated in 1782; and the 9/11 Memorial. Other special tribute events are also being planned.

“Roger and his fellow Patriot Project honorees represent the best of the best our country has to offer,” said Jeremy McVey, Chairman of the National Purple Heart Honor Mission. “These honorees represent a true cross-section of America and the diversity of our combat wounded through the decades. They answered the nation’s call and then kept on serving. This is our opportunity to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of a grateful nation, especially for our Vietnam veterans, the Patriot Project provides proper homecoming they never received.” 

“These Patriot Project missions recognize the sacrifices made by our Purple Heart recipients and honor those who never made it home. They provide an invaluable opportunity for these heroes to bond with other combat wounded to help with healing, understanding and of course, know that this nation will never forget their sacrifice,” said National Purple Heart Honor Mission Executive Director Colonel Russell O. Vernon (Ret). “We received hundreds of nominations from across the country, and we look forward to honoring Roger for his courage and service, both during combat operations and in the years since returning home.”

This year’s Patriot Project honorees include men and women from all branches of military service, who sacrificed for America and then went on to be leaders in their communities and professions. 

Asked what his service meant to him, Sgt Roger Hoehn said, “I learned to be disciplined and to understand that people are the same all over the world, but that our freedom comes at a price. Sometimes that price is our lives or our blood. I learned that I could depend on my brothers-in-arms with my life, and they can depend on me with theirs.”

Hoehn enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1965 and served for the next three years. As a Marine serving in Operation Liberty and Operation Macon, Sgt Roger Hoehn saw intense combat in Vietnam. On June 11, during Operation Liberty near the village of Dia Loc, a mine explosion severely wounded his squad, costing one Marine both legs above the knee and leaving Sgt Hoehn with shrapnel injuries to his knee and other parts of his body. Just two weeks later, on June 24 near the Song Thu Bon River west of Da Nang, a Viet Cong fighter threw a grenade into his forward listening post. The blast left him with a dozen or so additional wounds before he and his team returned fire.

Along with his Purple Heart with one star, Sgt Roger Hoehn received numerous medals and commendations for his service, including the Presidential Unit Citation, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Rifle Marksman Badge.

Married and the father of 14 children, Sgt Hoehn has continued a lifetime of service and compassion well beyond his Marine Corps years. After leaving the military, he built a diverse professional career as a building-materials buyer, a social worker, and later as a clerk in the ICU at the VA Hospital in St. Louis. Deeply involved in his community, he is passionate about driftwood art sculpture, helping individuals affected by alcoholism, and traveling. He is also a lifelong competitive runner and yoga student. Among his most meaningful achievements, he considers the adoption of eleven children from across the United States and around the world as the greatest honor of his life.

The Purple Heart Patriot Project provides an all-expenses paid trip to Purple Heart recipients from across the country to visit the museum dedicated as a tribute to their service and other historic sites connected with the Purple Heart. Located just north of West Point, New York, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is housed near the site where General George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit in 1782 during the Revolutionary War. The Badge, a purple cloth cut in the shape of a heart, was the forerunner of today’s Purple Heart medal. These powerful visits provide a unique opportunity for our Purple Heart veterans to connect with other recipients and experience the appreciation of a grateful nation committed to ensuring their courage and sacrifice is remembered for generations to come. Project Missions are supported by individual, foundation, and corporate donations.

In addition to creation of the museum, the National Purple Heart Honor Mission was instrumental in the creation of the Purple Heart Forever stamp, and the organization behind the U.S. Mint’s official Purple Heart Commemorative Coin series, which was issued by the United States Mint in 2022. Today, the organization is developing the National Purple Heart Traveling Tribute and Education Center, which will tour the country bringing the stories of our heroes’ service and sacrifice to communities across the nation.

Those wishing to learn more about the National Purple Heart Honor Mission or donate to sponsor the trip for our Purple Heart heroes should visit www.PurpleHeartMission.org.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HONOR MISSION

The National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an approved 501(c)3 non-profit organization, whose strategic objective is to pay tribute to our nation’s combat wounded and killed in action through special outreach and educational programming. Through Purple Heart Patriot Project Missions, celebration of National Purple Heart Day and other public events and programs, we engage people of all ages by telling the stories of our nation’s heroes. Learn more and support their efforts at www.PurpleHeartMission.org.