Military Order of Purple Heart holds state convention in Punta Gorda
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PUNTA GORDA -- Looking at the 240-plus pictures of servicemen and servicewomen from Florida killed in Iraq and
Afghanistan since 2001, one quickly realizes the truth about the statement, "Freedom isn't free."
The Military
Order of the Purple Heart Department of Florida is holding its annual state convention at the Best Western Waterfront this
weekend. Upward of 100 Purple Heart recipients and their wives will attend the five-day affair, which started Wednesday and
runs through Sunday morning.
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the U.S. president to any member of the Armed
Forces who, while serving, has been wounded or killed, according to the organization's Web site.
In the lobby of the
motel is a portable Memorial Wall containing almost all of the pictures of the men and women from the Sunshine State who have
lost their lives serving our country in the two Middle East wars over the last eight years. Two things are obvious looking
at the pictures of the fallen -- most are young, and almost all could be the boy or girl next door.
The first several
panels of the military display depict the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C., along with the Korean War
Memorial and the Vietnam Wall, also in Washington.
Jim Holland, commander of the Order of the Purple Heart of Florida,
who is in charge of the local convention, said those in attendance will spend much of their time this weekend making plans
for the national convention, to be held in August 2010 in Orlando. He said more than 1,000 Military Order of the Purple Heart
members and their wives from all over the country are expected to attend the national gathering.
Thursday afternoon,
a business meeting was held, followed by a memorial service later in the day. With many members in attendance, Friday morning
was the official opening, followed by committee meetings and lunch. Much of today will be spent electing officers for the
coming fiscal year, followed by a banquet and an award ceremony. The gathering will wrap up with a Sunday breakfast.
"We've
been here before and we very much like the people and the surroundings in Punta Gorda," Holland said. "The local
folks are hospitable and because of that, we'll be back again."
E-mail: donmoore39@gmail.com
By DON MOORE
Sun Correspondent
