June 4, 2003

Stamp honors Purple Heart war veterans

Traverse City ceremony unveils United States Post Office stamp

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

      Honoring a tradition that reaches back to this country's founding, area Purple Heart recipients gathered Friday morning for the unveiling of the new Purple Heart stamp issued by the United States Postal Service. The ceremony was held near the Purple Heart monument near the West End Beach and drew 50 people to honor those wounded during wartime service.
      After speeches and the stamp's unveiling, area Purple Heart recipients from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War signed the oversized poster of the stamp. This poster will be given to the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 609, based in Traverse City, which sponsored the event.
      "It's a special day, it's quite a remembrance and a recognition for the Post Office to do this," said Richard Rizzio of Traverse City.
      Rizzio, a veteran of Patton's Third Army during World War II, also received a Silver Star, the nation's third highest military decoration, for his actions in Europe. Now a member of local chapters of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Rizzio thought Friday of the many who did not survive their wartime wounds.
      "Some of us were lucky to be here, others were not so lucky," he said of fellow soldiers who died in action. "The real honor goes to them."
      George Blossingham, a commander of the Korean War Veterans Association in Cadillac, is proud of his Purple Heart medal. The Manton resident was wounded two times while a squad leader in the Army during the Korean War.
      "As far as I'm concerned, this is the most important medal I've got," said Blossingham, who served in the Army's First Calvary division. "This medal is for those who made the utmost sacrifice, the ones who didn't come back."
      Ray Mills, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, was determined to celebrate the stamp's issuance after he learned of it from the National Military Order of the Purple Heart organization. Mills pulled together the ceremony on short notice, enrolling local postal officials, the City Parks and Recreation Department and local politicians in participating.
      "It is just a distinct honor to have the stamp," Mills said. "It's been a long time coming."
      The Purple Heart medal dates back to the Revolutionary War when General George Washington bestowed the Badge of Military Merit upon three soldiers in 1783. He designed the decoration to include a heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with lace. The original dark blue cloth to which the heart was attached is thought to come from a Continental Army soldier's uniform.
      The medal fell out of use for generations until in 1927 an Army Chief of Staff unsuccessfully prompted Congress to revive it. General Douglas MacArthur championed the cause in 1931 and a year later Congress reinstated the medal. World War I veterans were allowed to exchange their Meritorious Service Citation Certificate for a Purple Heart.
      Succeeding presidents extended the medal's eligibility to all members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard who are wounded during battle with wartime enemies or by international terrorist attacks. Congress chartered the Military Order of the Purple Heart in 1958 and the group now advocates for and provides services to veterans.
      The current medal features a bust of George Washington to honor his part in founding what is now the oldest military decoration in the world.
      "This medal is worn with pride and is symbolic of the courageous service of the men and women who shed precious blood for a precious country," said Russell Wentworth, a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 609.
      The United States Postal Service actively hires veterans and numerous veterans and Purple Heart recipients from their local ranks attended the ceremony.
      "This stamp is another way of saying thank you to these veterans, that we will always remember," said Nancy Brethauer, acting postmaster for the Traverse City Post Office. "It has always been an honor in my 31 years of service to work with the veterans."
      Sam Scarbrough of Thompsonville, a veteran of the Vietnam War, signed the poster and reflected on the stamp's meaning.
      "It is very appropriate, way overdue," said Scarbrough, who works at the Mail Processing Facility on Garfield Road.