Release
DURANT – Friday, March 29 is Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day. This new day of recognition was first acknowledged in March 2018 and is a day set aside for all of us to honor those who served in the armed forces of the United States during the Vietnam War era. (1955-1973).
Statistics gathered by U.S. War Dog Association, state that 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam. This number represents 9.7 percent of that generation.
“Hundreds of Oklahomans were members of the armed forces during that time,” said Nancy Ferris, Director of the Three Valley Museum. “And many were from Bryan County and the surrounding area.”
“In the process of bringing the replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Durant in May, I feel blessed to have met and worked with the many veterans of Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are a humble and amazing group of men and women who look upon their service with pride and quiet reflection.”
“We owe these men and women our respect and gratitude, which is why we have chosen this special day to announce that Durant has been selected to become a Purple Heart City,” Durant Mayor Jerry Tomlinson said.
“Being named a Purple Heart City is our way, as a community, to make known that we honor, respect, and treasure all veterans and the sacrifices they have endured to protect us and keep us free.”
The Purple Heart merit was first designated as a merit of courage and honor by Gen. George Washington in 1782. It was to be issued to a soldier of any rank who demonstrated acts of valor particularly in a time of war.
We hope the citizens of Durant and our area will join us at the Donald W. Reynolds library on Friday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. as members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart bestow this prestigious honor upon our city, the two concluded.