Local Purple Heart Recipient Dr. Marty Ramirez to be Honored During National Tribute Event
Scottsbluff Native and Lincoln Army Veteran Chosen as Nebraska’s Representative for the 2026 Purple Heart Patriot Project
(NEWBURGH, NY) – A local Purple Heart recipient has been chosen to be one of the nation’s 2026 Purple Heart Patriot Project honorees. U.S. Army Sergeant (SGT) Marty Ramirez will represent his fellow Purple Heart heroes as Nebraska’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, scheduled 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.
“Marty 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 Marty 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 Ramirez said, “I grew up feeling and knowing that it was an honor to serve in the military. As a combat soldier, I felt that we were going to fight for democracy.”
Ramirez entered the Army on October 20, 1967, and served with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, A-4/12, during the 1968 Tet Offensive in Vietnam. In February 1969, with just ten days remaining in his year-long tour, his unit came under heavy enemy attack while he was guarding ammunition beneath a bridge. As mortar and rocket-propelled grenade rounds struck the area, Ramirez raced to reach the top of the bridge but was blown off and fell nearly 50 feet, suffering the combat wounds for which he received the Purple Heart. Previously, Marty came close to death on 8 different occasions.
Along with his Purple Heart, SGT Ramirez earned the National Defense Service Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars.
Married and the father of seven children, SGT. Ramirez built an extraordinary post-military career rooted in service, leadership, and community advocacy. He earned his Ph.D. and became a counseling psychologist, retiring after a distinguished professional life dedicated to helping others. A lifelong Chicano community activist, he has been deeply involved in educational and cultural advocacy and played a key role in helping create a Chicano/Mexican Veterans Monument in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He cites his academic achievements, his children all earning college degrees, and his decades of community leadership as among his most meaningful accomplishments.
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.