They All Gave Some -- And Some Gave All; Capitol Ceremony Scheduled to Honor Recipients of the Purple Heart Medal.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 1998--Acting State Veterans Affairs Secretary Lee Bennett today announced that a ceremony will be held here tomorrow, Saturday, August 8, beginning at 10 a.m. on the west steps of the state Capitol, in recognition of the sacrifices of combat wounded Californians awarded the Purple Heart Medal.

The ceremony will honor thousands of California veterans who were wounded or disabled or who died while serving in the armed forces. The program will last about an hour. After formal presentations are completed, an honor guard will carry a ceremonial wreath to the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Capitol Park. Participants, guests and spectators may follow the procession. The wreath will be displayed throughout the day. Recipients of the Purple Heart will be available for interviews prior to the event.

For additional information, contact one of the following Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) representatives: Charles Linden, chapter commander, at 530/677-3763 or Al Shook, Purple Heart Day Committee, at 916/362-7183, [e-mail] or 9664 Appalachian Drive, Sacramento, Calif., 95827-1111.

Shook said, "As a combat veteran, I am one of the nearly 100,000 combat wounded men and women in California who served our country in times of war. Our organization, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, is unique in many respects, but most of all we stand out from all the others because we, the recipients of this medal, shed our blood on distant battlefields, both in the popular and unpopular wars."

Shook said his organization represents all of those who were wounded and disabled and, in addition, the many who died of wounds or were killed by an armed enemy of the U.S. He said Purple Heart recipients take enormous pride in service to their country and believe that their contribution on the battlefields is a major contributor to the liberty, freedom and prosperity that Californians enjoy.

"We, representing all branches of miliary service, do not want the American public to forget that 'freedom is not free,' but rather that it has been earned by the millions who served our country under the most trying of circumstances. I have heard that the public is not interested in war any more, and that we must move on. We, the combat wounded veterans all agree, but also feel that those who served in time of war should not be forgotten.

"How can we get our message across that freedom is not free, and that many have paid enormously in the name of liberty? Our motto is 'They All Gave Some And Some Gave All.' Those of us who served have paid a heavy price on behalf of all Americans and now when the country is at peace, albeit fragile, we should not be forgotten, Is it that our service and sacrifice is old news and therefore no longer of interest to the news media? I certainly hope not," said Shook.

On April 22, 1991, the assembly and senate resolved that the second Saturday of August each year be proclaimed as California Purple Heart Veterans Day. According to Shook, California is the only state in the nation that has set aside a day to recognize and honor combat wounded veterans.

Said Shook, "We are getting older, our youngest member is 56 with some of our members in their 80s. However, even in our advanced age, we remain proud of our service to our country, and will continue to persevere to hold that America is the greatest nation on earth and is worth fighting for."

Recognizing Shook and his comrades, Gov. Pete Wilson recently proclaimed Aug. 8, 1998, as California Purple Heart Veterans Day.

In his proclamation, Wilson urged "all Californians to honor our Purple Heart veterans, both living and dead, as well as every soldier, sailor, flyer and Marine who has answered America's call to duty."

The Purple Heart is a U.S. military decoration awarded to members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action by or against an enemy; established in 1782 and re-established in 1932.

On June 15, 1775, the Second Continental Congress selected George Washington to serve as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

On Aug. 7, 1782, Washington established the Purple Heart decoration, to be awarded to all who performed meritorious or gallant service and to all wounded in combat by an enemy of the United States, and in 1992, the U.S. War Department revived the Purple Heart decoration.

While the vast majority of Purple Hearts have been awarded posthumously, the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) provides aid and assistance to living veterans in need and promotes patriotism among all Americans.

According to a representative of the MOPH national headquarters, there are 2,006 current members of the organization residing in California. For more information, contact Odas Flake, state commander, at 310/279-1830 or 1840 Fairburn Ave., No. 104, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

National Service Officer Nick McIntosh recently estimated, based on Department of Defense records and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are 587,688 Purple Heart recipients living in the U.S. as follows: -0-

Wounded In Action

War Period      Participants   Total   Living

World War I      4,744,000   203,992       293
World War II    16,535,000   687,856   250,493
Korea            6,807,000   122,526    77,214
Vietnam          9,200,000   303,704   259,688

Totals                     1,318,078   587,688

-0-

For more information, contact McIntosh at 502/582-6926 or 545 S. Third St., Louisville, KY 40202.

Sacramento resident Mike Kelley, a Vietnam War Purple Heart recipient, said that Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration in the world, still in current use and was also the first military award ever made available to the common American soldier.

Commenting today on what the award means to him, Kelley said, "Unlike any other U.S. military decoration, the Purple Heart does not represent effort or achievement or valor in the ordinary sense of those words. Rather, it is presented to all American soldiers whose blood is shed on the field of battle, and is awarded without regard to rank, station or degree of injury. In that regard, this small, beautiful piece of metal and its purple sash represents a universal symbol of suffering, sacrifice and honor in service to one's country."

Kelley also said that, to those who survived to wear the medal on their uniforms or to simply hold it in their hands, the Purple Heart remains a constant reminder of those friends and comrades who earned it through he sacrifice of their very lives. The knowledge born in their own suffering and in their comrades' ultimate sacrifice brings with it the solemn obligation to remember them and to teach ones children and their children the lessons the Purple Heart and war have taught.

Said Kelley, "Though earning it required nothing more of me than to simply absorb a rather significant quantity of shrapnel, I cherish the medal nonetheless. Of all my own decorations and apart from the Combat Infantryman's Badge, it is the only decoration in which I take pride. In the quiet moments when I gaze upon it, handing among the other medals I have in a frame on the wall of my den, I can see only the reflections of my comrades' faces, smiling, boyish-faces that will remain forever young in my mind."

Note to Editors: This release and previous press releases are available via fax by News On Demand at 800/356-8440

    CONTACT: California Department of Veterans Affairs
              Steve Dakota, 916/653-2561
              [e-mail]
              URL: http://www.ns.net/cadva/