Title
To declare August 7, 2019 Purple Heart Day in Columbus, Ohio
Body
WHEREAS, On August 7, 1782 General George Washington established the Honorary Badge of Distinction/Badge of Military Merit, which would later be referred to as the Purple Heart; and
WHEREAS, The Purple Heart was the first military distinction reserved for low-ranking soldiers. Military honors up to this point in history had been reserved for officers and nobility; and
WHEREAS, After the Revolutionary War, the Purple Heart fell into disuse until it was revived by President Herbert Hoover to honor the men and women serving in WWII; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, President Ronald Regan proclaimed the first week of August be recognized as Purple Heart Week to recognize the men and women of the United States Military, whom have received that distinction; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, Columbus will recognize the Apollo 11 Mission, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. Ohioan Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon’s surface; and
WHEREAS, Ohioans have been pioneers in spaceflight. According to NASA, 25 astronauts are Ohio natives, having made nearly 80 space flights, with three of those flights being trips to the Moon. Ohio astronauts have logged more than 22,000 hours in space; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby declare August 7, 2019 as Purple Heart Day in the City of Columbus and expresses its gratitude to the women and men of the United States Military who have sacrificed to uphold the values and integrity of the United States of America.