Purple Heart event Aug. 4
By From staff reports
Published in News on July 9, 2017 1:45 AM
The sixth annual Goldsboro/Wayne Purple Heart Foundation Banquet and Ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4, at The First Church located at 1100 The First Church Road.
The Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition and Wal-Mart Corp. are serving as grand sponsors of the event.
The Purple Heart Foundation of North Carolina and Goldsboro chairman Bill Graham are asking that all Purple Heart recipients throughout Wayne County that did not attend last year's ceremony to please contact Graham and be recognized this year.
Organizers also are asking for the next of kin of deceased recipients to contact them as well. Those considered next of kin would be husbands, wives, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.
The foundation has an active roster of previous year's recipients. Those veterans and families are presently being contacted and confirmed.
The foundation is also seeking volunteers to work with the committee in honoring and serving Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families.
You may contact Graham at 919-394-2200 or at cbwsgraham@ gmail.com.
This banquet and ceremony might the first time many of the veterans will be publicly recognized for their sacrifice and service.
The Purple Heart decoration is awarded to those who have been wounded or killed while serving with the U.S. military. Established by George Washington in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart's order includes the phrase "Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the Purple Heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen."
The Purple Heart ceremony will honor Goldsboro/Wayne area Purple Heart recipients along with their families, and families of deceased Purple Heart recipients, with special recognition to those killed in action.
For many veterans, this event will be the first time that they are publicly recognized and the first time that many of their family members have heard about their stories in combat.
This year's event will include a pre-dinner reception exclusively for the Purple Heart recipients, followed by a Walk of Honor in which each honoree will be introduced by their military branch, years of service, and where the Purple Heart was received. Each honoree will be escorted by a Junior ROTC cadet.
The Goldsboro/Wayne Purple Heart Committee is seeking any and all Purple Heart recipients in and around the area to register for this event. Purple Heart recipients and three family members will receive free tickets to the event, courtesy of the generosity of the grand sponsors. Any additional friends or family members may purchase tickets for $20. To register for the event, contact Graham.
Since the event is supported solely through sponsorships and volunteer time, those wishing to sponsor can email the foundation at veterans.patriots@nc.rr.com Those wishing to volunteer can contact Graham.
All contributions and sponsorships will be used solely for the event, which will be orchestrated through a volunteer staff. Donations are tax deductible and sponsors will receive recognition prior to and during the event.
Visit http://www.purpleheartfoundationofnc.org/welcome.html to learn more about how you can impact the lives of veterans while honoring their sacrifice with your service.
At closing, the last few minutes of the banquet will be used to introduce and hand out instructions to each Purple Heart Recipient or family member on how to register at The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor/ Museum.
Located in New York, The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor offers visitors a journey through military history as well as reminders of human sacrifice and the cost of freedom. The museum seeks to preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients and to educate visitors about the award and the recipients.