Celebrating Military Sacrifice (NAPSA)—Americans have a new way to salute the men and women who have earned Purple Hearts defending the nation. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor was recently opened and now receives nearly 100 visitors a day. The Hall is the first of 7 THE NATIONAL PURPLE HEARTHALL OF HONO! R Wear its kind in the nation to recognize the more than 1.7 million Americans wounded or killed in action while serving in the United States military. It will become the nation’s sole repository of soldiers’ stories of sacrifice. A New York Gity & Over 300,000 stories from indi- The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. However, only about 5,000 groups, and a presentation room. viduals who earned the Purple Heart are stored at the Hall of have been edited and are now available to be viewedby the public. “Please give us time to catalog and edit those thousandsof stories,” said Don Hughes, a retired Air Force three-star general and one of the persons responsible for creating the Hall of Honor. “We are workingto solve the problem.” The Hall of Honor, located in New Windsor, New York, includes a 7,500-square-foot facility with a reception area, gallery, exhibit hall, learning and education center for school Honor celebrates Purple Heart recipients. Through historical photographs, documentary films, and videotapes by veterans, the Hall will provide a multimedia show, exploring the spirit of the American fighting man or woman in times ofcrisis. Families who would like to share their story or materials of Purple Heart recipients to be considered for exhibition should contact the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, P.O. Box 207, Vails Gate, NY, 12584or call (845) 5611765.
