Purple Heart Community
By Canton Citizen
Street signs designating Canton as a ‘Purple Heart Community’ were unveiled on August 7. (Moira Sweetland photo)
The town of Canton joined the ranks of Massachusetts’ official Purple Heart communities in a solemn outdoor ceremony held at Cobb’s Corner on Saturday, August 7.
The event coincided with National Purple Heart Day, an annual observance commemorating the creation of America’s oldest military decoration. Established by George Washington in 1782 and originally called the Badge of Military Merit, the award was revived in 1932 and is now reserved for U.S. service members who were wounded or killed by enemy action on or after April 5, 1917.
Saturday’s ceremony was organized by Canton Veterans Agent Arafat Knight and featured remarks by Kurt J. Power, an Iraq War veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and state service officer for the Massachusetts Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH). Shot by a sniper in Iraq in 2005, Power now works as a detective in the Boston Police Gang Unit and has dedicated his life to supporting veterans in crisis and ending the epidemic of veteran suicide.
Also attending the ceremony were four Purple Heart recipients from Canton, all Vietnam veterans: James Forsyth (Army), Buddy Fallon (Marines), Kevin Collins (Army) and Paul Close (Marines).
State Rep. Bill Galvin and state Senator Walter Timilty also spoke briefly at the event and presented Knight with state citations commemorating the occasion. The ceremony also included a roll call of Canton’s fallen heroes and culminated with the unveiling of the “Purple Heart Community” sign at Cobb’s Corner — one of 11 that have been installed at the town’s entry points. Additional signs have been placed at Town Hall, the American Legion Post 24 Hall, the Canton Town Club, and Veterans Memorial Park.
Canton was one of several municipalities to celebrate the Purple Heart designation on Saturday, along with Methuen, Haverhill, North Andover, and Townsend. In all, more than 100 Massachusetts communities have been approved as Purple Heart communities and have been added as stops on the Purple Heart Trail, a national network maintained by the MOPH.
Following the Purple Heart ceremony, Carlo Gaita, Marine Corps veteran and owner of Rosetta’s Italian Family Restaurant, invited veterans and their guests to stop by the restaurant for complimentary coffee and donuts.
See this week’s Citizen for more photos from the Aug. 7 Purple Heart ceremony. Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=76104
Posted by Canton Citizen
on Aug 13 2021. Filed under Photo Gallery.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
