New Purple Heart Bridge – VFW

A city in Ohio recently renamed a bridge to honor Purple Heart veterans all over the country.

The city of Defiance, located about 55 miles southwest of Toledo, renamed its Clinton Street Bridge to Purple Heart Bridge. VFW National Deputy Chief of Staff Bob Kroeger, a Gold Legacy Life member of VFW Post 3360 in Defiance, said that his city does a “great job” of recognizing its veterans.

“Defiance has always been respectful of the veterans in the community,” Kroeger said.

During a Defiance city council meeting on Feb. 14, Kroeger on behalf of VFW recognized the city for naming the bridge to honor and recognize veterans who earned the Purple Heart medal during their military service. 

“We’d like to thank Defiance’s dedication and commitment to honoring and recognizing America’s more than 1.8 million Purple Heart recipients by renaming one of the city’s most important structures as the Purple Heart Bridge,” Kroeger said during the city council meeting. “Its work and diligence to remembering the bravery, service and sacrifices of our nation’s combat-wounded veterans has helped establish a profound and far-reaching patriotic connection with all who cross that bridge and has justly earned the utmost admiration and gratitude of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.” 

Kroeger said it’s “important” for cities and local governments to recognize veterans.

“Purple Heart recipients paid a huge sacrifice by getting wounded,” Kroeger said. “Naming it the Purple Heart Bridge is a good way to recognize the veterans who did what was asked of them and were wounded because of it.” 

This article is courtesy of VFW National Chaplain Jim Jenkins, and is featured in the March/April 2020 issue of VFW Checkpoint. If you’re a Post, District or Department Commander and aren’t receiving the Checkpoint e-newsletter, please contact the VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.