City of Bainbridge Mayor Edward Reynolds proclaimed the city a “Purple Heart City” and presented local Purple Hearts recipients, living and deceased, with keys to the city Tuesday evening at the City Council meeting.
Twenty-six recipients in Bainbridge and Decatur County were recognized by the mayor and council.
The proclamation aims to “honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s men and women in uniform wounded or killed by enemy while serving to protect the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans.”
The city will also add a sign to Bainbridge’s entrance, announcing its Purple Heart status.
Several family members of deceased recipients were present to accept the keys.
“This is a special honor for me. You don’t really hear a lot of Air Force guys getting a Purple Heart, but I’m one of the few. I’ve seen what injuries and this does to our folks,” said Warren Scobee, a representative from the Tifton chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart was chartered by Congress in 1958 and is composed of military men and women who received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds suffered in combat. The Tifton chapter meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. Its members are from throughout South Georgia from Ben Hill, Berrien, Cook, Irwin, Lowndes, Tift, Telfair, Houston and Wilcox counties.