Levi Douthit Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1674 became the third Purple Heart Memorial Post in Arkansas last week.
Post Commander Frank Lee read a proclamation designating Post 1674 as a Purple Heart Memorial Post to honor all combat veterans in the state of Arkansas, during a ceremony at the post on Feb. 12.
Chuck Adkins, commander of Military Order of the Purple Heart Region V, which includes Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas, also spoke during the ceremony, and Adkins along with Don Martin, a member of Post 1674 and Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 460, presented a plaque and a sign reserving a post parking space for Purple Heart veterans.
The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration presently in use, tracing its roots back to the first badges of military merit presented by George Washington in 1782, Adkins said. It is the first American service award made available to the common soldier and is specifically awarded to any member of the U.S. Armed Forces wounded or killed in combat with a declared enemy of the United States, the proclamation states.
The purpose of the Purple Heart Memorial designation is to serve as a reminder that freedom isn't free, Adkins said.
"We have shed blood from the time we have fought for our independence all the way up to the present day in battlefields in Europe, Africa, Japan, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Grenada, a lot of countries I've overlooked. ... We've had a lot of battles and we take great pride in the service we have done," Adkins said. "Making this a Purple Heart Post is not necessarily just to recognize those who have earned Purple Hearts, including those of you who are entitled to if (you) meet certain conditions, it's to honor all veterans."
VFW Post 1674 is one of the oldest posts in the state, established Nov. 10, 1940, and named after Levi Douthit, a local World War I soldier who was killed in action and received the Purple Heart, Lee said. Currently, the post has about five members who have received the Purple Heart, he said.
"We are grateful to the men who have been injured and the men who gave the ultimate sacrifice," he said.
General News on 02/20/2019