Springfield officials, state lawmakers and the Military Order of the Purple Heart gathered at City Hall to unveil 10 Purple Heart signs to commemorate local veterans.
Reminder Publishing photos by Ryan Feyre
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield officials, state lawmakers and the Military Order of the Purple Heart gathered at City Hall to celebrate the city’s 10-year anniversary of receiving the Purple Heart designation.
As a way of honoring this milestone, the city unveiled 10 Purple Heart signs that will be sprawled across the city as a way to remind people of the sacrifices veterans have made for the United States, according to Mayor Domenic Sarno.
“These signs will show that this city cares about our veterans,” Sarno said. “And we want to make that known.”
Sarno and the City Council approved and issued a proclamation in 2014 that declared the city a Purple Heart City. The Purple Heart community program is part of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Trail program, which designates communities, roadways, bridges, monuments, memorials, and other landmarks as part of the Purple Heart Trail.
Among those present to celebrate were Veterans Director Jo DeCaro, state Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow), state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) and National Chief of Staff for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Massachusetts Brian Willette.
Aside from honoring the city’s Purple Heart designation, the group commemorated the 83rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor and shared stories about Western Massachusetts’ connection to World War II.
Oliveira shared a story about how his uncle, a World War II veteran, was wounded in Italy in 1944, and eventually regained his ability to walk thanks to VA care. He noted how special the Purple Heart designation is to him.
“This designation honoring those who were wounded or killed action, is something that is very special to me and very special to those in the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Oliveira said. “It’s an honor to represent this city.”
DeCaro said the 10 signs are a show of appreciation to the veterans who have “some kind of scar” whether “internal or external.” He added that Springfield will also be the only city in the state to have World War II heritage signs across the city to honor those who fought in that specific war.
The World War II Heritages Cities Program specifically recognizes locations in the United States that played a significant role in the war through domestic contributions.
“It’s a small token of thank you to every [veteran],” DeCaro said.
