 Dedication and Military
Ceremonies Held at New Windsor Site to Mark Milestone; $6 Million Facility
Pays Tribute to Veterans Across the Country
(New Windsor, NY,
November 10, 2006...) Governor George E. Pataki today welcomed Purple Heart
recipients from across the country, service men and women representing
multi-generations and branches of service, along with their families and
veteran organizations to the opening of the National Purple Heart Hall of
Honor in New Windsor, New York. <story>
STATE OPENS FIRST PHASE OF NATIONAL PURPLE
HEART HALL OF HONOR
Facility to Pay Tribute to Veterans Across the Country
(ALBANY, NY, August 7,
2003 . . . ) New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation Commissioner Bernadette Castro today announced the opening of
the first phase of the
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor at the New
Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site in Vails Gate, New York. The
facility, once fully completed with museum and visitor center, will honor
more than 800,000 Purple Heart medal recipients and their service to the
country.
"The personal courage
shown and sacrifices made by these military heroes represent the honor
associated with the Purple Heart medal," said Commissioner Castro. "Thanks
to Governor Pataki’s dedication to preserving our heritage, the investment
toward establishing the national Hall of Honor will create a destination
that will provide legions of visitors a glimpse into history. With the first
phase of the project underway, we can be sure that the bravery demonstrated
by these valiant service men and women will be forever preserved and
documented at this revered site."
Over the last two years, Governor
Pataki committed $1.5 million in start-up funds for the planning, design and
development of the Hall of Honor. Other funds to support the project include
$402,000 in federal HUD/VA funds secured by U.S. Representative Sue Kelly
and additional donations from veterans and their families.
"Generations of Americans have put
their lives in danger on the battlefield so that we may live in freedom,"
said Representative Kelly. "The time has come to honor these brave men and
women through the establishment of a National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.
Every day, this Hall will serve as a reminder for Americans both young and
old that our democracy and our veterans are not to be taken for granted.
Governor Pataki is to be commended for his leadership in honoring the men
and women of our armed forces and the personal sacrifices they have made on
the battlefield in defense of freedom."
Representative Kelly has also
introduced a resolution in Congress aimed at bringing national attention and
federal support to efforts to build the Hall of Honor in the Hudson Valley,
calling on the federal government to "cooperate, assist and participate
in the development of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor."
The site plan,
building design, interior graphics and interpretive design for the Hall have
been completed and a construction schedule is currently under development as
funds are raised toward the $3.9 million in estimated construction and
exhibit costs. The stories and personal memories of Purple Heart recipients
across the country will be collected for an electronic database, the Roll of
Honor, which will eventually be available onsite and over the Internet for a
worldwide audience, along with the development of educational programs.
Senator Bill Larkin, a
retired Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army, said, "The Purple Heart Hall of Honor
will be a National symbol of the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women
in the name of freedom. We can never repay these brave men and women, but we
can certainly honor them and express our deep appreciation for all they have
done. The Hall of Honor will do just that. It will serve as a powerful
reminder to all of the cost of freedom, and it will be a source of pride and
honor to our veterans and their families."
The expanded National
Purple Heart Hall of Honor will include a 7,500 sq. ft. facility with a
reception area, gallery, exhibit hall, learning and education center for
school groups and tours, and presentation room. Through historical
photographs, documentary film footage, period objects and videotaped
recollections by the veterans themselves, the Hall will provide a
multi-media show exploring the spirit of the American people in times of
crisis.
"Placing the National Purple Heart
Hall of Honor at the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site is a fitting
tribute to the men and women who have put their lives on the line for
freedom since the Revolutionary War," said Assemblywoman Nancy Calhoun. "I
commend Governor Pataki on his efforts to preserve history and to honor the
800,000 Purple Heart recipients for their bravery and love of our country.
Visitors will be able to relish the rich history of New York State and the
part it played in the formation of the United States of America."
Among the items to be
exhibited are photographs and papers donated by veterans and recently
acquired for the Hall. Among these materials, some of which date to World
War I are Purple Heart medals, Presidential certificates, uniforms of
recipients, and other related correspondence, photographs and objects.
In addition to the
cooperation of veterans and their families, the project enjoys the support
of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), the national organization
whose members are themselves Purple Heart recipients.
Carol Ash, Executive
Director of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, said, "The National
Purple Heart Hall of Honor will pay tribute to the valiant efforts made by
our country’s military men and women in pursuit of the freedoms we enjoy
today. Establishing a dedicated site for the Hall’s operations is a
significant step in the development of this historic facility that, once
completed, will preserve an important part of our country’s past. With the
participation of veterans and their families, their personal stories of
courage will be available at the Hall to educate future generations and
provide a valuable look at our heritage."
In addition to the
formal opening of a dedicated exhibit space at the Cantonment for
preliminary Hall operations, the day’s event also included reenactments of
the 1783 meetings at the Cantonment for selection of the Badge of Military
Merit recipients, World War II reenactors displaying equipment from that
era, and the participation of members of the Military Order of the Purple
Heart.
New Windsor Cantonment
was the final winter encampment of General George Washington’s northern
Continental Army during the American Revolution. It was during this period
that General Washington created the Badge of Military Merit and officers met
at the Cantonment to choose the candidates for the new award, a heart-shaped
badge of purple cloth presented for valor. The present-day Purple Heart
medal took as its inspiration the color and shape of the Badge and added the
image of George Washington to honor the man who so valued the outstanding
service of his solders. Today it is a service-wide award to the wounded or
those killed in action.
Tax deductible gifts
to the Hall in support of the memorial and museum can be made to Friends of
the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Inc. - NPHHH and directed to the
facility at, New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, P.O. Box 207, Vails
Gate, NY 12584, or contact the site at (845)561-1765.
Go to the
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor web site for the latest information.
Also see:
Military Order of the Purple Heart
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