Purple Heart and WWII Veterans Honored Sept. 11
In a special September 11 event, Georgetown will honor 80 World War II veterans as well as veterans who have received the Purple Heart at an event at the Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza. The event, sponsored by the Texas Capital Chapter 1919, Military Order of the Purple Heart and the City of Georgetown, marks the second anniversary of the city’s official designation as a Purple Heart City. World War II veterans from across the region are planning to attend.
The ceremony starts at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, September 11 with remarks by Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross. The ceremony also will include presentation of the colors, music, and a fly-over of WWII-era aircraft.
The featured speaker is retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Halverson, a Georgetown resident whose active duty service included tours in Germany and Vietnam in the 1960s. Halverson also served as commander of the Special Liaison Office at NATO headquarters in Brussels from 1977 to 1979. After transferring to the Texas Army National Guard, Halverson took command of the 49th Armored Division in 1998 where he directed a multi-national peace-keeping force in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Purple Heart is awarded to any member of the U.S. military who is wounded or killed in combat. Georgetown became the first city in Texas to be officially designated a Purple Heart City when the Georgetown City Council approved a resolution on September 10, 2013.
The co-sponsor of the Sept. 11 event, Texas Capital Chapter 1919, Military Order of the Purple Heart, includes more than 600 members in the Central Texas area. Chapter 1919 supports a number of programs including assistance to needy veterans and Honor Flight Austin, a program that flies World War II veterans to visit the World War II memorial in Washington, DC. Find out more about the organization at their website www.purpleheartaustin.org.
Directions
The Williamson County Veterans Memorial Plaza is located behind the Sun City Social Center at 2 Texas Drive, Georgetown, Texas, 78633.
