Ceremony held to honor Purple Heart recipients, other veterans

WAYNESBURG – Thursday, Aug. 7 was a day for the veterans of Greene County to gather and honor the memories and sacrifices of Purple Heart medal recipients and other veterans.
At 9 a.m. four members of Greene County Purple Heart Chapter 34 met at the Greene County Courthouse, in front of the Purple Heart monument to hold a memorial service. Commander Frank Smith, Treasurer D.C. Keller, Chaplain Skip Black, and Junior Vice Commander Larry Hillberry led the memorial service as they stood before the monument.
All four men had received Purple Heart merits of their own; Smith received one Purple Heart, Keller received two, Black received three, and Hillberry could have received three but he only accepted one.
The service marked the 232nd year since the Purple Heart merit was established. This high military honor was created by President George Washington on Aug. 7, 1782, while he was the commander in chief of the Continental Army.
The local monument, which was unveiled in August 2007, is dedicated to local recipients of the Purple Heart medal, the nation’s oldest military decoration.
The Aug. 7. ceremony was short, as the men recited the pledge of allegiance and recalled the history of the Purple Heart, before saluting those who had made the ultimate sacrifices for their country.
Brief as it was, the ceremony brought up many emotions and memories for the veterans, as it was a time to honor their comrades.
“Every year since we put the monument here, we never forget the Purple Heart recipients, and the veterans, and the POW MIAs,” Skip Black explained.
The ceremony, in addition to observing and thanking the servicemen who were injured while serving their country, also recognized the sacrifice of the men who never made it home, whether killed during war or left behind.
“As of Memorial Day 2014, we placed the POW flag at the monument and it will always be there because, personally, I still believe there are POWs MIA in Vietnam,” Black stated. “Until the day I die, I will believe that. We just drew a quick ceremony, no politics, nothing. We came up here to pay respects to the Purple Heart recipients and the deceased veterans. As long as one of us is here, we will always do this.”
D.C. Keller noted, “There are over 57,000 who have not returned from Vietnam alone.”
Black explained that many soldiers and veterans did not handle the transition of coming back to America well, due in part to the cold reception they received from fellow Americans.
“We were spit on and every other thing they could do to us.” Black explained.
“Some boys coming home could not even wear their uniforms.”
Despite the initial lack of respect that the veterans deserved upon returning home, Black explained there is undeniable honor when someone chooses to serve his country.
“I was 17 when I joined the Marine Corps, I went to Vietnam,” Black said. “And when I went, I was fighting for freedom.”
The purpose of the memorial service was to recognize the other men who also rose to the calling and fought for freedom and were willing to put everything on the line to do so. Their bravery, selflessness and honor deserves recognition, which is why the Purple Heart merit was created.
Despite this fact, Black explained that it seemed like many people could not distinguish what politicians were doing versus the great sacrifices servicemen were making during the Vietnam war.
“We’re not the politicians; they know what they did to the boys and it was all politics and big money,” he said. “That’s what keeps my sanity: I did what my country wanted me to do. Even to this day, I would do it again.”
Though the Purple Heart merits are given out to men to honor their deeds, the merits don’t necessarily make the past any easier for veterans. Smith, Keller, and Hillberry all agreed that they could only recently begin to talk about their experiences in Vietnam.
And although the men have begun to open up, they explained that they still can’t share everything.
“Veterans can only talk to other veterans because they know what they’ve been through,” Hillberry said.
Black, also the service officer to the Carmichaels Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3491, mentioned there are ways for veterans to find help and support. One such example he pointed out was through the Carmichaels VFW; every third Monday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a Pittsburgh service officer comes in to help veterans with claims or anything they need filed as a veteran for a claim.
“And if the fellow doesn’t know the answer, he will find it for you,” Black explained.
Veterans are encouraged to come to Carmichaels VFW for any help they might need. Black also mentioned that the Carmichaels VFW will be hosting a car show on Sept. 26.
The Purple Heart ceremony, meant to honor Purple Heart recipients and deceased veterans, was a somber reminder of what veterans have sacrificed for their country and the respect they deserve.