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    2017 Purple Heart Truck Run to The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library — July 31st!

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    Purple Heart Truck Meets Local Combat Wounded Purple Heart Recipients and Honoring All Purple Heart Recipients

    On July 31, 2017 approximately at 1-4 PM, the local Chapter 750 of The Military Order of the Purple Heart will host a ceremony to welcome the 2017 Purple Heart Truck Run to The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.   Attending the ceremony will be Simi Valley Ford dealer Larry Hibbler, Supervisor Peter Foy, Library Docent Art Hershey and the Patriot Members of Chapter 750, all of whom are Purple Heart recipients.  The media and the public are invited to attend this special ceremony that will be held at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library at the main entrance to the Library.  The Truck is driving down from San Francisco to the Reagan Library.

    There are an estimated 1.8 million Purple Heart recipients that were killed in action or wounded in combat.  Those combat wounded service members who have transitioned back into civilian life have made great sacrifices to ensure our freedoms, but they often go unrecognized.  The road to recovery and reintegration into their communities can be a long and difficult struggle for both the wounded warriors and their families

    The focus of the 2017 Purple Heart Run is be Mobility is Freedom.  Sponsored jointly by the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) and Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS), the Purple Heart Run features a mobility-equipped, 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor truck, adapted to accommodate combat-wounded veterans who are paralyzed or have lost legs and/or arms.  Our belief is that, given the right vehicle for mobility, a combat-wounded veteran will have the freedom to live a productive and quality life with his or her family

    Driven exclusively by amputee Veterans, the Purple Heart Run will make its way from coast-to-coast and back on an 8,500-mile odyssey, rallying communities across America to thank our Nation’s military veterans and support this great mission.  The Purple Heart Run will begin at the foot of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in our Nation’s capital on July 1, traverse the nation to California and return to end in Dallas, Texas on 13 August, 2017 at the MOPH National Convention.  On its way across America, the truck, provided by Ford Motor Company, will be powered by Pilot and Flying J fuel, and will stay overnight at Marriot brand hotels – all made possible by our generous sponsors.  At each stop, they will distribute special parking signs that mark spaces to be used exclusively for Purple Heart recipients

    At the conclusion of the Purple Heart Run, the keys to the truck will be presented to Marine Sergeant (Ret.) Marshall Kennedy, a Purple Heart recipient from Farmington, Arkansas, who was chosen from a nation-wide search of eligible and deserving nominees.  Patriot Kennedy was on his fourth deployment when he lost both of his legs and sustained severe damage to his left arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Sangin Afghanistan on June 13, 2011.  For his injuries, he was awarded the Purple Heart medal

    The mission of Wounded Warrior Family Support (WWFS) is to provide support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured or killed during combat operations.  The families of our casualties suffer in many ways: some financially, some psychologically, and the overwhelming stress of the recovery process can threaten to tear a family apart.  Programs include: A Family Retreat program to provide vacation retreats, free of charge; a Caregiver Respite Program provides respite and supplemental services nationwide to the caregivers and families of wounded war veterans; and the “Mobility is Freedom” program provides grants to qualified combat-wounded veterans for the purchase of a Ford vehicle, specially adapted to suit veterans who are paralyzed or have lost legs or arms

    The Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. Inc.,” (MOPH) was formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual interest of all combat wounded veterans and active duty men and women who have received the decoration.  Chartered by the Congress, The MOPH is unique among Veteran Service Organizations in that all its members were wounded in combat or by an act of International Terrorism.  For this sacrifice, they were awarded the Purple Heart Medal.  With grants from the MOPH Service Foundation, the MOPH and its Ladies Auxiliary promote Patriotism, Fraternalism, and the Preservation of America’s military history.  Most importantly, through veteran service, they provide comfort and assistance to all Veterans and their families, especially those requiring claims assistance with the VA.  Programs of the MOPH include VA Volunteer Service, Suicide Awareness, Homeless Veteran Assistance, JROTC Leadership Awards, Scholarships, Americanism, Purple Heart Trail and Cities, Welfare, and numerous community service programs, all with the objective of service to Veterans and their families

    To learn more or to make a donation, go online to www.purpleheart.org and www.wwfs.org

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