Press Release: This Veterans Day, Nominations Open For National Purple Heart Tribute Event
Heroes From Across America to Be Selected to Receive an All-Expenses-Paid Trip for a Multi-Day Tribute to their Sacrifice
Nominations Due by December 31, 2023
(NEWBURGH, NY) – The National Purple Heart Honor Mission announced that it will open the nomination process for its 2024 Purple Heart Patriot Project on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11. This moving multi-day salute to service will bring together Purple Heart heroes from across America together to pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation.
Often described by honorees as the “trip of a lifetime,” one Purple Heart recipient and an escort of their choosing from each state will receive an all-expenses-paid trip filled with special tributes, tours and ceremonies honoring their service and sacrifice.
“The honorees we select symbolize what it means to be humble heroes. They have served, sacrificed, and continue to serve their country and community because that’s simply who they are and what they do,” said National Purple Heart Honor Mission Executive Director Col. Russell Vernon (Ret.). “For some, especially our Vietnam veterans, this event is the homecoming they never received. For others, it is an opportunity to connect with their fellow Purple Heart recipients and share stories only they can fully appreciate.”
The four-day Patriot Project Mission will feature visits to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; historic Washington’s Headquarters, where the Badge of Military Merit was created by General George Washington in 1782; the Statue of Liberty; the 9/11 Memorial Site; and a private tour of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor – the museum dedicated to our nation’s combat wounded and killed in action, founded by the Honor Mission.
Videos of past Patriot Project missions and “Stories of Valor” interviews with honorees can be found on the Honor Mission’s YouTube channel.
It is estimated that more than 1.8 million Americans have been awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action or making the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
Anyone can nominate a Purple Heart recipient by completing the nomination form on the Honor Mission’s website: www.purpleheartmission.org/patriot-project. Nominations should include a short description (up to 350 words) about why their hero is deserving of this special recognition. Submissions should focus not only on an individual’s military service but their post-military life including community service, charitable work and career. Honorees may not be self-nominated.
“Our Purple Heart heroes have made extraordinary sacrifices for our freedom,” Col. Vernon said. “These brave men and women bare the physical and emotional scars of war, and this tribute is meant to remind them and all Americans that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
Nominations will be accepted until December 31, 2023. A national panel of Purple Heart recipients and other distinguished Americans will review the nominations and select the final honorees.
Individuals, businesses, and organizations interested in sponsoring an honoree can contact the National Purple Heart Honor Mission to learn more about donor benefits by emailing info@purpleheartmission.org. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HONOR MISSION
The National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports a variety of programs to promote the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, pay tribute to our Purple Heart recipients, and educate all Americans about our combat-wounded veterans to ensure those who sacrificed for freedom are never forgotten. Learn more and support their efforts at www.PurpleHeartMission.org.