Syracuse Sun

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh proclaimed the City of Syracuse to be a Purple Heart City on Wednesday, May 22. Walsh was joined by multiple local recipients of the Purple Heart, leaders of the Central New York Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and representatives from over 15 other local veterans groups.

In becoming a Purple Heart City, Syracuse joins more than 900 other communities in the U.S. that demonstrate support for military personnel wounded or killed in combat. These cities show their support by posting Purple Heart City signs on local streets. Syracuse will install purple and white “Purple Heart City” signs at four locations near the city line: South Salina St., North Salina St., East Genesee St., and West Genesee St.

The proclamation signed by Mayor Walsh encourages “the citizens of Syracuse to show their appreciation for the sacrifices Purple Heart recipients have made defending our freedom, to acknowledge their courage and to show them the honor and support they have earned.”

“The freedom we enjoy as Americans would not be possible without the sacrifices of the more than 1.6 million people who have received the Purple Heart,” said Mayor Walsh. “Becoming a Purple Heart City is a visible way we can demonstrate to our veterans and their families we are grateful for what they have done for our nation.”

“Mayor Walsh and I travelled to Washington D.C. with Honor Flight in September of last year,” said Joe Fraccola, who received the Purple Heart Military Medal in 1969 and is commander of the CNY Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. “On that mission, he demonstrated deep respect and appreciation for our veterans. I asked Mayor Walsh to declare Syracuse a Purple Heart City. I’m grateful he took this important step for recipients of the Purple Heart.”

The Purple Heart is a military decoration presented to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded or killed in combat. It was originally given out by General George Washington in 1782 and was called the Badge of Military Merit. The current version, which includes a medal heart attached to a purple ribbon, was first presented in 1932.