BOERNE — A new monument honoring Purple Heart recipients was installed this week at Veterans Plaza, thanks to a local effort led by the Purple Heart Project and the Veterans Owned Small Business Organization, funded entirely through private donations.
Located in a shaded area near the center of the park, the new memorial serves as a tribute to service members wounded or killed in combat. The installation is the latest addition to a historic park that has long served as a gathering place to honor the military service of Kendall County residents.
The Purple Heart Project, the group behind the effort, is dedicated to recognizing and supporting those who have received the Purple Heart.
According to the organization’s mission statement, it strives “to recognize, honor and celebrate those who have earned the Purple Heart through their brave and selfless acts of service to our nation and its citizens,” while also providing continued support to recipients, their families and other veterans.
The new monument reads: “In Honor of Purple Heart Recipients: They paid for our freedom with blood. All gave some. Some gave all.”
Veterans Plaza, one of Boerne’s original four park sites, is home to a collection of memorials and plaques commemorating local service members who have died in combat.
The central Veterans War Memorial lists the names of those killed in action from World War I through recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It serves as the focal point for annual Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies.
The park’s legacy as a site of remembrance began in 1923 when the H.J. Graham family erected a World War I monument in what was then known as Military Plaza. Over the decades, plaques and other additions have expanded the scope of the memorial to recognize subsequent generations of veterans.
The Purple Heart, originally established as the Badge of Military Merit by George Washington in 1782, was one of the first military decorations made available to lower-ranking soldiers for their valor.
Reintroduced in 1932 with Washington’s likeness, the Purple Heart became a formal combat award. By 1942, eligibility had expanded across all military branches and included the option for posthumous awards.
Today, the Purple Heart continues to represent sacrifice and courage, awarded to any U.S. service member wounded or killed in enemy action.
“The addition of the Purple Heart monument in Boerne further strengthens the city’s longstanding commitment to honoring military service and provides a meaningful space for reflection for both veterans and the public,” city officials said in a statement this week.
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