Springfield, VA, June 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Monday, June 18, 2018 at 9:00AM, The Military Order of the Purple Heart will host a departure ceremony to launch the 2018 Purple Heart Truck Run on a 7,800 mile odyssey across America. MOPH Chapter 353 and American Legion Post 176 will host the event at the AL Post, 6520 Amherst Ave., in Springfield, VA. Following a demonstration of the truck and introduction of the drivers, participants will be invited to sign the truck.
The media and the public are invited to attend this special ceremony.
There are an estimated 1.8 million Purple Heart recipients that were either killed in action or were wounded in combat or by an act of international terrorism. 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 2018 “Purple Heart Truck Run” will be “Mobility is Freedom.” Sponsored jointly by the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) and Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS), the Purple Heart Truck Run features a mobility-equipped, 2018 Ford F-150 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 Truck Run will make its way from coast-to-coast on a 7,800 mile odyssey, rallying communities across America to thank our Nation’s military veterans and support this great mission. The Purple Heart Run will begin in Springfield, VA on June 18, 2018, traverse the nation to California and end in Spokane, Washington on 30 July 2018 at the MOPH National Convention. On its way across America, the truck, provided by the Wounded Warriors Family Support Foundation, will stop at MOPH Chapters to demonstrate the capabilities of the truck and to distribute special parking signs that mark spaces to be used exclusively for Purple Heart recipients.
At the conclusion of the Purple Heart Truck Run, the keys to the truck will be presented to U.S. Army Sergeant (Ret.) Justin Burdette, a Purple Heart recipient from Palm Bay, Florida, who was chosen from a nation-wide search of eligible and deserving nominees. On June 9, 2013, Patriot Burdette was three months into his third deployment to Afghanistan when his platoon received incoming mortar and rocket fire while on a dismounted patrol in Wardak province. Justin was hit with a 107 mm rocket, and the blast caused him to lose both legs below the knees. For his injuries he was awarded the Purple Heart medal.
The mission of Wounded Warriors 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 terrorism. For their sacrifice, they were awarded the Purple Heart Medal. With grants from the MOPH Service Foundation, the MOPH and its Auxiliary promote patriotism, fraternalism, and the preservation of America's military history. Most importantly, through Veteran Service Officers, 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 Veterans 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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