Purple Heart Day

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

Purple Heart Day

WHEREAS, General George Washington, the esteemed son of Virginia, shaped the fabric of our nation as a military leader and the first President of the United States, and demonstrated his commitment to honoring the valor and sacrifice of the nation's soldiers by creating the Purple Heart Medal (the “Purple Heart”); and

WHEREAS, the Purple Heart, the oldest military award of the United States of America, was established on August 7, 1782, at Newburgh-on-the-Hudson, following General Washington’s victory over British forces at the Battle of Yorktown; and

WHEREAS, the Purple Heart stands unique in its democratic spirit, paying tribute to the valorous without prejudice to rank or social distinction, thus embodying the highest ideals of our nation, and serving as a perpetual reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of our military men and women, both past and present; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia honors combat wounded veterans through the issuance of a Purple Heart license plate; and

WHEREAS, the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the USA is headquartered in Virginia, and their principles and objectives are expressed through the perpetual commitment to fostering patriotism, fraternalism, history, and education among the citizens of the nation and the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Virginia has designated the portion of Virginia Route 3 from George Washington's Birthplace National Monument to the junction of Virginia Route 3 with Interstate Route 95 at Fredericksburg and the entire length of Interstate Highway 95 in Virginia as the Purple Heart Trail; and

WHEREAS, Virginians are encouraged to honor both living and deceased combat-wounded veterans who are recipients of the Purple Heart Medal;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize August 7, 2023, as PURPLE HEART DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations