MOUNT MORRIS, N.Y., Aug. 7, 2024 — Today, Livingston County Veteran Services joins counties throughout the country in recognizing National Purple Heart Day.

The day honors those military members who have placed themselves in harm’s way for the good of all. The Purple Heart medal is an award presented to service members wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. military. To date, more than 1.8 million service members have received a Purple Heart since the award’s creation. Here in Livingston County, several Purple Heart recipients call the area home, said County Veteran Services Director David Terry. 

“When thinking of the Purple Heart, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Straton family. The Stratons are a four-generation Purple Heart recipient family. Generations dedicated to service, country, and sacrifice,” Terry explained.

Paul Straton was a specialist in the United Stated Army who fell victim to friendly fire during combat operations. He was wounded while serving from 2002 to 2003 in Iraq during Operations Desert Spring and Iraqi Freedom. Other family recipients of the Purple Heart were Paul’s father, Edward, in Vietnam, his grandfather, also named Edward, in the Korean War, and his great-grandfather during World War II. 

“Four generations is something to recognize and honor,” continued Terry. “Livingston County residents have great respect, admiration, and the utmost gratitude to all the men and women who served their country and this community in the armed forces. They especially recognize the contributions and sacrifices of those who paid the ultimate price for freedom or placed themselves in harm’s way for the good of all. Many veterans among us in the county are Purple Heart recipients. Today, we honor those heroes along with all Purple Heart recipients.”

General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, especially for the enlisted ranks, on August 7, 1782. On February 22, 1932, under the command of Army General Douglas MacArthur, the Badge of Military Merit was renamed the Purple Heart and has held its namesake and look ever since. The medal is a solemn distinction and the oldest military award still presented to American service members. The Purple Heart is one of the first military medals to be given to all ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The first national observation of Purple Heart Day occurred on August 7, 2014. Under the leadership of former Livingston County Highway Superintendent Don Higgins, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, along with unanimous support from the Livingston County Board of Supervisors, Livingston was declared a Purple Heart County by the board in 2020. Livingston County proudly displays its Purple Heart County status to all visitors with bright blue signs placed on roadways along the county’s borders.  

Actors such as James Arness, Charles Bronson, and James Garner, along with director Oliver Stone, and athletes Pat Tillman and Rocky Bleier are all Purple Heart recipients, said Terry. The first woman to receive a Purple Heart was Army Lt. Annie G. Fox, who served as chief nurse at Hickam Field, Hawaii, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The only sitting president to receive the Purple Heart was John F. Kennedy during World War II. With an injured back himself from a Japanese destroyer colliding with his torpedo patrol boat, he towed a fellow sailor with the life jacket strap clinched in his teeth for three miles while swimming in open waters before reaching an island. Service members can receive multiple Purple Hearts throughout their service. Curry Haynes, recognized for the most Purple Hearts, was shot in the arm in the jungles of Vietnam. After surgery in Japan, Haynes ordered back to the front lines sustaining a series of injuries and received nine more Purple Hearts. 

New York State is home to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor - a New York State Parks site under the jurisdiction of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. Learn more about the award at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor website.

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About Livingston County:

Founded in 1821, Livingston County, N.Y., is home to more than 61,000 residents in 17 towns located across 631 square miles of the Finger Lakes region.