The Purple Heart is a combat medal for members of the military who have been wounded in battle.
Sometimes, the person gets the award while he or she is living; but the award can be given at any time to veterans who qualify and also can be awarded posthumously.
At a recent ceremony in Henderson, local veterans, city leaders and others gathered to officially designate – with signs along key roadways and elsewhere – that the city is a “Purple Heart City.”
The original designation was made more than a decade ago, in 2012, said Hartwell Wright with American Legion Post 60 and with Chapter 637 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
But that’s as far as things went, Wright said. “No formal action was ever taken,” he said.
The state didn’t provide funds to create signs for the designation, but city leaders decided to change that.
There are signs at NC 39 North near the water treatment plant, two small signs on Beckford Drive, one at the movie theater and one at the Henderson Fruit & Produce on Old Norlina Road, and city staff may be placing additional signs soon, if there aren’t more up already. The Purple Heart chapter donated some of the smaller signs that have been placed in the city; the city created signs that are placed at the city limits.
The signs are tangible ways to recognize all purple heart recipients as they come through town, either as visitors or as residents – “to show we appreciate them and show them they’ll never be forgotten,” Wright said.
According to information provided Tuesday by Henderson Public Information Officer Salonia Saxton, the city is providing 25 Purple Heart signs that are located under each entrance to the city and under the speed limit signs throughout the area.
Wright, himself a Purple Heart recipient, provided remarks during the Mar. 7 ceremony to provide those in attendance a little history of the medal.
It is the oldest U.S. military award still given, he said.
Originally known as the Badge of Military Merit, it was established by George Washington in 1782 as a way to recognize rank and file fighting men, Wright said. At the time, only the elite officers would receive any type of commendation for combat-related actions, but Washington sought to create a medal for the average soldier.
In 1932, it was reimagined and was given the name it still has today.
Although there’s no way to know exactly how many Purple Heart recipients reside in Vance County today, Wright said he is among a group of people that is planning – with input from city staff – a veterans memorial that will be located just in front of the police department.
“We don’t have one in Vance County,” Wright said. Once the plans make their way through the design phase, Wright said the fundraising will begin.
Veterans are invited to a free veterans breakfast next Monday, Apr. 7 beginning at 8 a.m. at the VGCC Civic Center (Building 9), located at 200 Community College Rd., Henderson.
Contact Albert Spiess with Granville County Veterans Services
at 919.693.1484 or via email albert.spiess@granvillecounty.org to learn more.
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