NEW WINDSOR – The National Purple
Heart Hall of Honor held its official re-opening and rededication ceremony
Saturday afternoon after undergoing a remodeling.
Approximately 1,000 attendees came including Purple Heart recipients,
Gold Star Mothers, elected officials, veterans, and community supporters.
In 2010, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Inc. was asked to raise
the funds necessary to ensure that all five branches of the military were
equally represented within the New Windsor hall. Before the re-opening
and rededication, a majority of the features were dedicated to Army services.
Purple Heart recipients salute during ceremony
Congressman Christopher Gibson (R, NY19) was chosen to give the closing
address for the ceremony and said although the place has always been a
very special one, the new features make it much more so.
“This is a spiritual place; this is a truly moving place,”
said Gibson. “It’s all that much more special now that so
many generous people have come forward and we have renovated it. So, to
me, it really brings it home.”
Since fund rallying began until it officially re-opening to the public
Saturday, approximately $2.5 million was raised for the hall’s new
features, one of which is a steel memorial from 9/11.
Andrew Komanchak, executive director of National Purple Heart Hall of
Honor Inc., said with the new life brought to the hall, he hopes people
will take the opportunity to bring children in so they might learn of
sacrifice and honor.
“It’s just really important that they bring young people here
and use it as a teaching moment to help so that they have an understanding
of sacrifice and that it’s not just a video game where you get up
again,” he said.
The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is open to the public Tuesday
through Sunday every week.
