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Date: 3/12/2015
EAST?LONGMEADOW – The Military Order of the Purple Heart presented the American Legion with a special plaque for approving its Purple Heart status at the Board of Selectmen’s March 3 meeting.
Brian Willette, commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Western Massachusetts, said he was proud to present the award to the Gunther Rowley American Legion Post 293, which had approximately 40 members in attendance.
“We’re very honored to be in East Longmeadow tonight and the reputation that East Longmeadow has throughout [is] as one of the strongest veteran communities,” he added.
The Purple Heart is awarded to service members who have been wounded or killed in action.
Willette, a Purple Heart recipient who has a 23-year-old son who also received the Purple Heart award, related a personal story about being in East Longmeadow several years ago on Veterans Day.
“It was right in front of [town hall], before I went to Afghanistan, on Veterans Day and I ran into Mr. [Mark] Eckert after his son had passed and whenever I drive by this building I always remember that meeting and he had tears in his eyes and told me to be careful over there,” Willette, who served in Afghanistan, said.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart is chartered by congress and is a national organization, which began establishing local chapters in 2012, he noted.
“There’s about 60 of us [in the chapter],” Willette added. “We’re unique among veterans’ organizations [because] we are all Purple Heart recipients and we also have associate members that are family members, wives, spouses, or children.”
Willette said the order’s senior member Phillip Gerard, an Army Infantry, 43rd division who served during World War II, was present at the meeting.
“He’s 92 years old and he was wounded over 70 years ago in the Philippines, Willette said. “He was wounded twice in January and February of 1945. So, I always salute Phil and all he’s done.”
Willette said the town would honor Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day beginning this year.
The commendation was initially going to be given to the board, however, Board of Selectmen Chair Paul Federici suggested giving the plaque to the East Longmeadow American Legion.
“You folks earned this; so why don’t you present it to the American Legion,” Federici said.