SHELBY — The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest military award, introduced in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit by General George Washington.
During the fall of 2023, Garland Gates, a former Shelby mayor and 3rd Ward councilman, became aware of the Purple Heart Trail while traveling.
Gates, nearing retirement, brought the trail to City Council’s attention. He asked Councilman At-Large Steven McLaughlin to pursue adding Shelby to the trail’s directory.
After months of research and work with local historians, McLaughlin and City Council passed a resolution on May 20 declaring Shelby as a Purple Heart City.
Representatives from the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 1974 Findlay post, Shelby American Legion O’Brien Post 326 and Boy Scout Troop 406 participated in ceremonies last week at the Shelby Justice Center.
Group effort
In December 2023, Christina Yetzer Drain and Cindy Jones, both of the Shelby Oakland Cemetery’s Wreaths Across America group, contacted McLaughlin to offer assistance.
“They were working on a wreaths project and were doing research to get a list of folks that had passed away that had earned the Purple Heart,” he said.
“By looking at the tombstones at the local cemeteries, they gave me a list of approximately 70 locals that had been identified.”
Furthermore, McLaughlin said Shelby resident Rich Eichinger compiled a list of more than 200 soldiers — from Shelby and the surrounding area — who have been killed in action or wounded.
The list also includes soldiers which have died while in the service of the country, but not in combat.
Shelby Mayor Steve Schag thanked all those involved with the process of getting the city added to the Purple Heart Trail.
“Thank you (McLaughlin) for the work that you’ve put into this,” he said. “It seems like we’ve been talking about this for months and it’s great to see it come to fruition this evening.”
Purple Heart City flag raised during outdoor ceremony
After the resolution’s passage, City Council and those in attendance traveled outside of the Shelby Justice Center for a flag ceremony.
The Posting of the Colors was conducted by O’Brien Post 326. Boy Scout Troop 406 raised the Purple Heart City flag. Dawson Gove performed Taps as the ceremony concluded.
Along with a flag, Shelby was given a Purple Heart Special Recognition Award and two road signs to display.
Schag said signs will be placed at city entrances along State Route 61 and State Route 39.
“I hope that when folks pass by that sign … they’ll also remember that it’s the men and woman who have served our country and sacrificed for our country that have literally paved the way for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as Americans today,” he said.
Trail history, meaning and purpose
The Purple Heart Trail was established in 1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
According to MOPH, the original idea for the trail came from Patriot Frank J. Kuhn, Jr., a member of Chapter 1732 in Virginia. His idea was taken to the national level by Patriot George Gallagher, a member of Virginia Chapter 353.
A symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges and other monuments, represents the trail’s purpose — which is to “give tribute to the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal.”
Signs at various locations indicate roads and highways where legislation has been passed to designate parts of the national road system as a part of the trail.
Format and design of signs varies from state to state.
The trail originates in Mount Vernon, Virginia — the burial location of Washington — and runs across the country to California. There are currently designated Purple Heart Trail sections in 45 states, as well as Guam, according to MOPH.
(Below are photos from the Purple Heart City ceremony at the Shelby Justice Center on May 20.)
