Niagara County’s Purple Heart Ceremony will take place at the county courthouse at 1 p.m. Aug. 3, when the names of more than 80 local Purple Heart recipients will be added to the Purple Heart Book of Honor and monument. The medal is awarded to those wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. Currently there are more than 400 names in the Purple Heart Book.
The guest speaker for the ceremony is Don MacSwan, Wheatfield town supervisor and Vietnam War veteran. After the ceremony, MacSwan will sign copies of his book “Doc, A Combat Medic’s Story.”
Seating will be available for honorees. Others are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.
The Tonawanda American Legion Band will put on a performance starting about 12:30 p.m.
The courthouse will be opened for those who wish to see the displays in the rotunda, including World War I hero Frank Gaffney’s Congressional Medal of Honor and select items from the now-closed Secret Weapons of World War II exhibit.
For more information about the Purple Heart Book and the ceremony, call the county clerk’s office, 716-439-7025, or the county Veterans Service Agency.