The Dalles Mayor Richard Mays proclaimed the city a Purple Heart City at the regular city council meeting on Monday, May 23.
The Purple Heart is an award given in the name of the president to those wounded or killed in combat against enemy forces. Proclaiming the city a Purple Heart City is intended to show support for all veterans and to honor the lives who have been lost in combat, City Councilor Rod Runyon said.
Mayor Richard Mays leads a meeting to The Dalles City Council.
Mark B. Gibson/file
The designation comes at no cost to the city or county, as it is through the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), who will provide all the signage needed.
This is not the first time the idea of designating The Dalles as a Purple Heart City has come up. The Dalles local, Purple Heart recipient and Junior Vice Commander for the Oregon MOPH Patrick Wilburn appeared at the city council meeting on May 9 and spoke about the proposal during public comment.
Wilburn said the designation would show support from The Dalles to veterans, not only in Wasco County or in The Dalles, but across the state and the country.
In the proclamation at the meeting, read by Mays, it spoke of the great service done by veterans and the appreciation of the community.
“The city of The Dalles, Ore., and our community has a great admiration and the utmost gratitude for all the men and women who have and are selflessly serving their community in the armed forces,” Mays said, reading from the proclamation.
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