South Congaree, SC (Paul Kirby) – The town of South Congaree has become a Purple Heart City. The proclamation was made at the Tuesday meeting of the council.
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States. It is offered to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917 has been wounded or killed.
According to the website mailtribune.com, on August 15th, 2015 John E. Bircher III, public relations director of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, offered clarification on what's involved in achieving the designation. It turns out, the only requirement is gratitude. "Actually, this is not an initiative by the MOPH, although the local chapters do get involved," Bircher emailed in a response. "It is an expression of gratitude to the sons and daughters of that community who gave their lives or were wounded in combat defending the freedoms that all Americans enjoy."
In the same article Bircher explained that the typical Purple Heart City process involves the mayor and/or city council performing a proclamation, which then is presented to the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. In turn, the organization arranges as many Purple Heart recipients to attend the ceremony. The military order also provides the city a plaque commemorating the occasion, a Purple Heart flag the city can fly, particularly for National Purple Heart Day on Aug. 7, and "proud supporter" pins for everyone attending the ceremony.
After Tuesday’s ceremony South Congaree Mayor Danny Jones said, “We are incredibly proud to honor our military active duty service members and veterans. We realize that so many have been wounded or killed in order for our democracy to remain great and it’s the least we can do to become a Purple Heart City in their honor.”
