BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Union County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a proclamation setting Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, as Purple Heart Day.
Commissioner Mac Johns brought the matter up to the board, recounting a visit with a friend and a gift he was given.
“Willie Busby was one of the first people I met when I moved to Union County,” Johns said. “He wanted to give me a Purple Heart flag that had been given to him by the Lake City Chapter of the Purple Heart organization. Purple Heart Day is a nationally recognized day, and he asked me if we could fly the flag on a set day proclaimed for the purpose. He and I discussed working toward Union becoming a Purple Heart County and creating a Purple Heart Trail.”
Busby was awarded the Purple Heart medal twice during his service in Korea.
County Attorney Russ Wade read the proclamation, which provided some interesting insights into the history of the military honor.
The Purple Heart is the oldest active military award in the United States. It was established on Aug. 7, 1782, following General George Washington’s victory over the British forces at the Battle of Yorktown. The Florida Legislature passed legislation unanimously establishing Aug. 7 as Florida Purple Heart Day “to recognize recipients of our nation’s oldest award to combat wounded veterans.”
As of this year, there have been more than 1.8 million Purple Heart recipients in the United States since 1792, with several in Union County. The award is given to service men and women who are wounded as a direct result of their service, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice are recognized posthumously.
Johns gave the flag to the board for display on appropriate occasions and asked County Coordinator Jimmy Williams to look into acquiring appropriate flags to be displayed in the county to honor all those injured or killed in service to the country.
