Aug. 7 was Purple Heart Day, a moment set aside to recognize those U.S. military veterans who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while in the line of duty.

In recognition of this day, Prairie du Rocher hosted an afternoon ceremony Sunday to honor and celebrate Purple Heart veterans in the community while also announcing that the village had recently joined the ranks of Waterloo and other nearby communities in becoming a Purple Heart City.

The event took place at American Legion Post 622, with the hall filled with a substantial audience, including a number of veterans and their family members.

Following the posting of the colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem – performed by Becky Popejoy and Melanie Green – Post 622 Sergeant at Arms Duke Hinrichs opened the ceremony by explaining how the event first got started.

Sometime ago, Hinrichs took note of the other communities in the area who had been officially declared Purple Heart Cities. After suggesting to the village board that Prairie du Rocher also pursue this distinction, he was tasked with the responsibility.

Amid his research into the process, Hinrichs received assistance from Prairie du Rocher Village President Mark Wilson, Post 622 Commander Duane Langhorst and Joe Schaler of the Military Order of the Purple Heart for the State of Illinois.

Wilson drafted, and the village board passed earlier in May, a proclamation for the Purple Heart City title which he read aloud at Sunday’s ceremony, emphasizing the meaning and importance of the Purple Heart award and its recipients.

“Now therefore I, Mark Wilson, President of the Village of Prairie du Rocher, Illinois, do hereby proclaim the village of Prairie du Rocher as a Purple Heart City and encourage the citizens of the village of Prairie du Rocher to show their appreciation for the sacrifices Purple Heart recipients have made in defending our freedoms, acknowledge their courage and show them the honor and support that they have earned,” Wilson said.

Hinrichs went on to say that he, Wilson and Langhorst wanted to go beyond just acquiring the Purple Heart City designation.

“After several meetings and conversations with Mr. Wilson and Commander Duane Langhorst of our post, we felt we should go a step farther and recognize those veterans and their families who’ve been recipients of Purple Hearts,” Hinrichs said.

This was the impetus for the Sunday ceremony. Hinrichs and others proceeded to reach out to Purple Heart veterans and their families in the community to hear their stories.

It was noted by Hinrichs that Post 622 is named after Joseph Park, a Purple Heart recipient.

He further spoke about the various stories he heard from the veterans and families he spoke to, emphasizing the range of ways local military servicemen and women have sacrificed.

“Some were shot down flying B-17 bombers over Germany,” Hinrichs said. “Some were torpedoed and sank with their ships in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. Some spent time in extreme cold in the mountains of Europe and Korea. Some were mired in the jungles of Vietnam. Others in the sweltering heat in the desert in the Middle East. “

During his speech, Hinrichs also stressed the importance of the Purple Heart, outlining its history and true meaning.

“Today I ask you, what is a Purple Heart?” Hinrichs said. “A Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the president to any member of the Armed Forces while serving in capacity within one of the branches of the military and is wounded or killed in action.”

Following Hinrichs, Schaler spoke about his work with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, describing their tremendous amount of work for veterans and their families.

After a brief thank you to those in attendance from Langhorst, Wilson presented a speech where he too stressed the impact of Purple Heart veterans.

“We owe them all a debt of gratitude for their service and in part is what brings us here today, to honor their memory and contributions to our country so that we may continue to enjoy the freedoms that they were so passionate about protecting,” Wilson said.

The featured speaker for Sunday’s ceremony was Major General Gavin Lawrence, who serves as the commanding general of the military surface deployment and distribution command at Scott Air Force Base.

Lawrence said it was an honor to be in attendance among local veterans and those present in recognition of them.

Like the previous speakers, Lawrence emphasized the meaning of the Purple Heart throughout his speech. 

He also stressed the great amount of sacrifice the award signifies, from the pain or death suffered by veterans to the loss their family members are forced to face.

“Though the criteria for receiving the Purple Heart has changed, what has remained constant is that the Purple Heart absolutely represents the unwavering dedication and selflessness of those who have sacrificed for our country, and it remains a symbol of courage, a symbol of sacrifice and a symbol of honor,” Lawrence said.

Also present for the event were State Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud), State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) and representatives for U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Congressman Mike Bost.

Much of the remainder of the ceremony centered around recognizing the individual Purple Heart recipients in the community, most of whom were represented by a family member who accepted a certificate on their behalf.

Recognized veterans included Orville Alberts, Ronald T. Biermann, Joseph Braun Jr., Leon Buehler, Lemuel Louis (Pete) DuClos, Billie Derringer, Mark Anthony (Tony) Ellner, Eugene Harold Esker, Russell W. Fults, Steve Gerlach, Harold S. Godare, Charles Heizer, Lowell L. Jones, Harold Keller Sr., Steve Moll, Wayne Mudd, Edgar (Billy) Nevois, Merrill Prange, Dale W. Roy, Steve Rodewald, Stanley Sauer, Frank Steibel, Robert J. Schmitz, Alan D. Trucano, Elmer Wallach and Julius Weber. 

Clifford Juelfs was also recognized as a Purple Heart recipient after Post 622 was notified just before the ceremony.