New Haven to honor military veterans with Purple Heart Day ceremony

Military veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart will be recognized for their service in the village of New Haven on Aug. 7, when the village hosts a ceremony in Fountain Park.

“This will be the first time that New Haven has recognized and held a ceremony for National Purple Heart Day,” New Haven President Brian Meissen said.

The Purple Heart Day ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. in Fountain Park, located at the corner of Main Street and Haven Ridge Road. Local military veterans who have been awarded a Purple Heart and their families are welcome to attend the roughly one-hour ceremony.

Meissen said the village has been working to get the word out about the ceremony via social media, flyers and digital signage.

“Our office manager, Sandra Cazel, took the lead to put together a fitting ceremony and memorial for Purple Heart Day,” Meissen said.

On July 21, Meissen said that although some plans for the event are still being put together, he anticipated “Taps” and the national anthem would be played, and village fire department chaplains would hold a moment of prayer.

“We’re hoping to rope in other area groups like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Macomb County Sheriffs, etc. to participate in the event,” Meissen said.

Meissen’s office manager/accountant Sandra Cazel said an AMVETS representative was scheduled to speak at the event.

“We have a memorial that we are putting at Fountain Park honoring our veterans who received the medal and we plan to unveil the memorial on Purple Heart Day,” Meissen said.

Cazel said the village has commissioned a granite memorial honoring Purple Heart recipients, which she said would be installed at Fountain Park the week of July 24 and unveiled during the Aug. 7 ceremony.

Meissen said the village council approved having the community join the National Purple Heart Trail on June 13.

“A few months ago the village received a letter from Susan Howard with Romeo’s VFW Auxiliary urging communities in Macomb County to participate in the Purple Heart Trail. As part of our proclamation to participate in the Purple Heart Trail, we also agreed to hold a ceremony for Purple Heart Day Aug. 7,” Meissen said.

Chesterfield Township and the city of New Baltimore also became Purple Heart communities in June, honoring service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. The Purple Heart Trail is a symbolic system of roads, bridges, signs, trees and other monuments recognizing Purple Heart medal recipients. Designated sections can be found in over 40 states and Guam.

The Purple Heart Trail was established in 1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart and originates as a monument in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The Purple Heart is one of the most recognized and respected medals awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces. The nation’s oldest military award, it was first established as the “Badge of Military Merit” by Gen. George Washington on Aug. 7, 1782.

Nicole Tuttle is a freelance reporter for The Voice.

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