Purple Heart Run returns to Washington, D.C. at end of its Cross Country Tour to Award Specially Adapted Ford F-150 to Double...
27 May 2016 - 3:01PM
Business Wire
There are an estimated 1.8 million Purple Heart recipients,
combat wounded service members who have transitioned back into
civilian life. They have made great sacrifices to ensure our
freedoms, but often go unrecognized. The road to recovery and
reintegration into their communities can be a long and difficult
struggle for our nation’s wounded warriors and their families.
On Saturday, May 28, at 4:00
PM, The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), and
Wounded Warrior Family Support (WWFS) will jointly host a ceremony
to welcome the Purple Heart Run to Washington, DC at the end
of a month-long, 6,700 mile, coast-to-coast tour to raise awareness
of the costs of war and promote the tour’s motto, “Mobility is
Freedom.” The welcome ceremony to will be
held at the iconic Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington Blvd. and Meade
St., Arlington, VA. The Public and the Media are invited to
join us to view the ceremony and sign the truck.
At the ceremony, the MOPH National Commander Bob Puskar will
present the keys to the truck to LCPL Nicholas Thom, a combat
wounded veteran and double amputee from the war in Afghanistan.
Patriot Thom was selected to receive the truck after a nationwide
call for nominees who had received the Purple Heart medal. In
attendance will be a number of local officials, and a large number
of Purple Heart recipients from across the nation.
The focus of the 2016 “Purple Heart Run” was “Mobility is
Freedom.” Sponsored jointly by the Military Order of the Purple
Heart and Wounded Warriors Family Support, the Purple Heart
Run features a mobility-equipped, 2015 Ford F-150 Super Cab
truck, adapted to suit combat-wounded veterans who are paralyzed or
have lost legs or arms. Our belief is that, given the right vehicle
for mobility, a combat-wounded veteran will have the freedom to
live a productive and quality life with his or her family.
The truck was driven during the first half of the trip by Cpl
Tyler Huffman (USMC, Ret.), a combat wounded and paralyzed veteran
of the war in Afghanistan, and on the second half by Captain Joe
Tidwell (USA, Ret.), a combat wounded and disabled veteran of the
Vietnam War. The Purple Heart Run has made its way from
coast-to-coast and back, rallying communities to thank our
country’s military veterans and support this great mission. The
Purple Heart Run began in Mount Vernon, VA, on May 2, traversed the
nation to California and now is returning to end in Washington,
D.C. on Memorial Day weekend.
The mission of Wounded Warrior Family Support (WWFS) is
to provide support to the families of those who have been wounded,
injured or killed during combat operations. The families of our
casualties suffer in many ways: some financially, some
psychologically, and the overwhelming stress of the recovery
process can threaten to tear a family apart. Programs include: A
Family Retreat program to provide vacation retreats, free of
charge; a Caregiver Respite Program to provide respite and
supplemental services nationwide to the caregivers and families of
wounded war veterans; and the “Mobility is Freedom” program which
provides grants to qualified combat-wounded veterans for the
purchase of a Ford vehicle, specially adapted to suit veterans who
are paralyzed or have lost legs or arms. To learn more or to make a
donation, go online to www.wwfs.org.
The "Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A.
Inc." (MOPH) was formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual
interest of all combat wounded veterans and active duty men and
women who have received the Purple Heart medal. Chartered by
Congress, the MOPH is unique among Veteran Service Organizations in
that all its members were wounded in combat. For this sacrifice,
they were awarded the Purple Heart medal. With grants from the MOPH
Service Foundation, the MOPH and its Ladies Auxiliary promote
Patriotism, Fraternalism, and the Preservation of America's
military history. Most importantly, through veteran service, they
provide comfort and assistance to Veterans and their families,
especially those requiring claims assistance with the VA, those who
are homeless, and those requiring employment assistance. Programs
of the MOPH include: VA Volunteer Service, JROTC Leadership Awards,
Scholarships, Americanism, Purple Heart Trail and Cities, Welfare,
and numerous community service programs, all with the objective of
service to Veterans and their families. To learn more or to make a
donation, go online to www.purpleheart.org.
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Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. Inc. (MOPH)John
E. Bircher IIIPublic Relations
Director352-753-5535publicrelations@purpleheart.org