THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor celebrated  its official opening on November 10, 2006 -- right here in New York’s historic Hudson Valley region.

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor opened its doors on November 10, 2006.  With the generous contribution of $500,000 from the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, we have created the most unique facility in the nation that will keep a permanent record of those who have given so much for their country. This support builds upon the more than $4.57 million in funding we have committed at the state and federal levels along with other private gifts.

The Hall of Honor, where veterans’ extraordinary stories of service and sacrifice will forever be preserved, is located in the picturesque setting of the 1782-83 encampment of George Washington’s Army at the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site in Vails Gate, where 150 veterans of World War I received their Purple Hearts in 1932. Sixty miles north of Manhattan, and ten miles north of the United States Military Academy at West Point, this location reminds us to remember those who are no longer with us, to appreciate those who live on as witnesses to war, and to pass this legacy and lessons on to young people all over the world.

Inside the 7,500 sq. ft. facility, a computerized interactive "Roll of Honor" recalls the names and stories of Purple Heart recipients from across the nation and the generations, which is shared with citizens of the world over the Internet. In video theaters, guests can learn unique history lessons directly from the mouths of those who made history, through interviews with Purple Heart recipients themselves. Film and exhibits convey the experience of going into battle and its outcome, the heroic efforts of medical personnel, and the return home as a changed person.

As active duty service personnel, veterans, and family members of deceased veterans, you know how important it is to preserve this legacy of service. Whether you are a Purple Heart recipient yourself or would like to recognize a comrade in arms who was, or remember a family member, we are depending on you.  We ask that you help us continue to gather the names and information of all those who should be registered here along with their photos and most importantly their stories. We also seek the poignant reminders of sacrifice – letters or photos or perhaps a good luck token a Purple Heart recipient carried – all of which will bring visitors that much closer to understanding the experience shared by all veterans.

You may also have invaluable materials that should be considered for exhibition or for the archives. If you can contribute in any way, please contact the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, PO Box 207, Vails Gate, NY 12584, or call (845) 561-1765.

We thank you for your service to the nation and for your support of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

For more information on the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, please visit www.friendsofpalisades.org and follow the links for historic sites to New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site.

Free Enrollment in the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
We are counting on your help to register all Purple Heart Recipients in the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer databank of all the recipients of Purple Hearts. In addition, you may have objects that help tell the personal stories of each recipient which would be appropriate for exhibit in the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. To begin your registration, please mail or e-mail us the following information:

1. The name, address, and contact information of the person who will be providing information on a recipient or recipients

2. The name of the Purple Heart recipient and as much information as you can provide: the time of service, rank(s), military unit, date and location of birth, the date(s), location(s) and circumstances of being wounded, and any additional information that will help tell the story to visitors, perhaps including future generations of your own family. If you are a Purple Heart recipient submitting your own information, please include information so that we can contact you.

3. Documentation of receipt of the Purple Heart: Copies of the DD-214, WD or equivalent discharge paperwork, Certificates or other proof of receipt of the Purple Heart.

4. Copies of photographs, telegrams, newspaper, magazine or online articles about the recipient or other materials that help tell the story.

Materials can be mailed to:

ATT: Karen Pena, National Purple Heart Hall of Honor
PO Box 207
Vails Gate, NY 12584

If you have any objects you and your family are willing to donate, something that helps tell the story of service and sacrifice, please include a brief description of any objects you would like us to consider. Due to limited storage space and the amount of attention each object in the collection receives, we may not be able to accept all objects. Please keep your Purple Heart with your family or your community (if you have no relatives who wish to keep it, consider donating it for exhibition at a local museum, library, school or post office so that people across the country can see a real Purple Heart in person). Please do not send any objects before hearing from us. If you know of someone or a business that would like to contribute funds to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, checks can be sent to the address above. Checks should be payable to "Friends of the PIPC, Inc. – NPHHH". The Friends of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission is a 501c3 organization with federal registration as a non-profit corporation.

Thank you for your assistance. Together we will build the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor


BACKGROUND ON THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR

No current American museum or historic site tells an adequate story about the Purple Heart, its origin and its significance. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, located in New Windsor, New York, will do just that by recognizing the more than two million brave American men and women who were killed or wounded in combat. This state-of-the-art 21st century facility will preserve the stories of ordinary men and women and the extraordinary sacrifices they made for this nation.

The setting of the Purple Heart Hall of Honor is in a significantly historical region in New York. The site of General George Washington’s former headquarters is in nearby Newburgh and the United States Military Academy at West Point is minutes away. It was in Newburgh that General Washington personally designed and created the award known as the "Badge of Military Merit" to honor the common soldier for his gallantry and sacrifice. The award would eventually become the Purple Heart medal. The first public presentation of the Purple Heart medal occurred in May 1932 at the New Windsor Cantonment which has been designated by the Military Order of the Purple Heart to be the permanent site of the Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

The 7,500 square foot facility holds a reception area, gallery, exhibit hall, learning and education center for school groups and tours, research library, and a presentation room. Through historic photographs, artifacts, military history collections, documentary film footage, period objects, and videotaped recollections by the veterans themselves, the Hall provides a multi-media display exploring the spirit of the American people in times of war.

Among these materials, some of which date back to World War I, are Purple Heart medals, Presidential certificates, uniforms of recipients, and other related correspondence, photographs and objects.

The Hall creates a national Data Base for recipients and their stories. An Oral History Program will collect interviews of veterans from all eras. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor also includes an Internet connection to classrooms across America. Students may learn of individual stories framed within the context of historic national milestones, the role of the military in providing for the nation’s security and strength, the effects and reality of war, and the pursuit for peace and liberty throughout the world.

The mission of the Purple Heart Hall of Honor is to preserve, interpret and disseminate the story, history and records of every single United States veteran who has received the Purple Heart medal. It is a comprehensive memorial and archive for those families whose members have been recognized for their valor and bravery in defending our freedom. And it is a gathering place, where our heroes can come together in community to share their stories and celebrate their triumphs.

Time is of the essence. We are losing our WWII veterans by the thousands every day. Sadly, most of our WWI veterans have already left us without recording the story of their sacrifice. Now, we are beginning to lose our Korean War, Viet Nam and even Desert Storm veterans.

The staff at the New Windsor Cantonment Historic Site have already collected information and photographs from thousands of Purple Heart recipients and their families who have generously contributed to the Hall of Honor. Fortunately, the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) began interviewing its members in 2001.

We ask that you help us continue to gather the names and information of all those who should be registered in the Hall of Honor, along with their photos and most importantly their stories. We also seek the poignant reminders of sacrifice--letters or photos, bibles, telegrams, or perhaps a good luck token a Purple Heart recipient carried--all of which will bring visitors that much closer to understanding the experience shared by all veterans.

If you can contribute in any way, please contact the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, PO Box 207, Vails Gate, NY 12584, or call (845) 561-1765.

If you know individuals or businesses that would like to make a monetary contribution, checks can be made out to Friends of the PIPC, Inc.--NPHHH and sent to the address above.

|