Events > Purple Heart Day - August 7, 2005

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Purple Heart Day
August 7, 2005

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2005
www.purpleheart353.com

"Purple Heart Day" on August 7, 2005 in Mount Vernon, VA

The Greater Washington Chapter 353 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. (MOPH) is sponsoring a commemoration of the establishment of the Purple Heart Medal and its predecessor the Badge of Military Merit. General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit in Newburgh, NY on August 7, 1782. On February 22, 1932, General Douglas MacArthur issued War Department General Orders reviving and replacing it with the Purple Heart Medal. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association that maintains the home, tomb, and estate of General and the first President of the United States George Washington is a traditional co-sponsor of the event. The Greater Washington Unit 353 of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (LAMOPH) provides organizational and public relations support of the annual commemoration. The commemorative ceremony will take place on Sunday, August 7, 2005, at 2:00 p.m. at the Purple Heart Trail memorial, the starting point of the nationwide Purple Heart Trail, in Mount Vernon, VA.

The keynote speakers are Patriots Edward Schnug and Joseph Zimmer. Sgt. Maj. (Ret) Edward Schnug served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942 to 1966. He was wounded in action two times while fighting in Saipan and Okinawa in 1944 and one time in Korea in 1950. His decorations include the Silver Star Medal for Gallantry in Action, 3 Purple Heart Medals, a Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), and 20 other awards for distinguished service. Since his retirement, Edward Schnug has been serving as a U.S. Marshall in the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Law Enforcement. He has been an active member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) for 20 years, served in elected and appointed Chapter 353 and Department of Virginia offices, and received a number of awards.

PFC (Ret) Joseph Zimmer served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1944 and in the U.S. Army Infantry from 1944 to 1945. He honorably retired with a Certified Disability Discharge (CDD). He fought in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and survived the Battle of the Bulge in the last major German attack in Europe during World War II. He was wounded in February 1945 during an American forces assault on the German Siegfried Line. His major decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, and over seven foreign combat and service awards. Joseph Zimmer worked in the private sector for thirty years during the Cold War and for the Office of the President of the United States from 1975 to 1994. He has been an active MOPH member from 1996.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart is the only veterans' organization charted by Congress exclusively for combat-wounded veterans. The MOPH is headquartered in Springfield, VA. It has 37,980 Life and Annual Members, 317 Associate Members, 45 Departments, and 492 Chapters throughout the United States. The MOPH represents veterans’ interests before Congress, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and other Government Agencies. Its National Service Program provides free of charge assistance to all veterans, their dependents, and survivors. Together with the MOPH, its Ladies' Auxiliary promotes Americanism, sponsors patriotic activities, and contributes to the welfare of all Veterans, military service members, and local communities. Additional information about the MOPH and LAMOPH is available at www.purpleheart.org.

For additional information about the event, please visit www.purpleheart353.com or contact:

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Purple Heart Day 2005

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