The city of Fall River, Massachusetts, held a ceremony on August 7, 2024, to observe National Purple Heart Day, honoring Purple Heart Medal recipients and Gold Star families. The event was led by Taos Ferris, the new Director of Veteran Services for Fall River, who outlined the ceremony's agenda. Mayor Paul Coogan delivered remarks, expressing the city's gratitude for the service and sacrifice of military members who have been wounded or killed in combat. Residents David Sila, a Fall River resident, and Bob Taris, a Gold Star brother whose brother was killed in Vietnam in 1969, shared personal testimonies about the importance of remembrance and the emotional toll of sacrifice. Mayor Coogan then read a formal proclamation, declaring August 7th annually as Purple Heart Day in Fall River and urging residents to honor the recipients. A chaplain offered a prayer for veterans, those serving, and their families. The Mayor also acknowledged City Councilor Andrew Raposa, City Council Vice President Linda Pereira, and Tyra Lee from Representative Foyle's office. It was announced that the Government Center would be lit purple in honor of the day.
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good afternoon guests I would like to thank you I would like to invi uh invite everyone to take a look around the room uh we have goldar family members and attendance as well as a purple heart recipient in attendance I want to take this opportunity to thank the mayor uh the city councilman uh and everyone here in attendance foring bringing your presence uh in attention to National Purple Heart
0:34day I am the new director of veteran services for the city of Fall River my name is Taos Ferris I served in the United States Navy with the Marine Corps for about 15 years uh today is one of those days that is kind of special to myself as a veteran uh of the Iraq War I lost several friends but I also have several friends that did make it and that are purple heart recipients like
1:02some of you here in the crowd today just really quickly our list of events is as follows first we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance led by the city councilman then the mayor will give his remarks afterwards we will offer gar family members or purple heart recipients a moment to speak on what Purple Heart recognition Day means to them after which I will give a short speech the mayor will issue is a
1:30proclamation and the chaplain will offer a prayer after that we be closing remarks thank you for your attendance
1:45today good afternoon and welcome everybody if we could please stand for the pledge I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all you may be seated on behalf of the for of city council we welcome all of you here today it's a pleasure to be with you God bless you
2:12all at this time I'd like to welcome the mayor of the city of Fall
2:25River I'd like to Echo Andrew's remarks and thank everyone for being here today uh obviously it's something we want to do more of in the city um good afternoon and of course welcome to purple har remembrance ceremony the city of Fall River and our veteran service office officer wanted to recognize Purple Heart Day to honor all Purple Heart Medal recipients for their service and their bravery the Purple Heart Medal is
2:55presented to service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of any enemy action while serving in the US Armed Forces a purple heart is a solemn and distinct honor and means a service member has greatly sacrificed himself or paid the ultimate price while in their line of duty the courage and sacrifice shown by each and every recipient will never be forgotten in this city as mayor I want
3:23to express to you that our city is forever grateful to you for your service and your sacrif and thank you all very much for being here today I now will turn it over to Doc again for his comments or the invite up the other so at this time if there is a goldar family member or a popart recipient in the crowd if you would like to speak for just a moment to explain
3:58what this day means to you you please raise your hand and be recognized okay ah
4:17please give the people your name uh my name David Sila I'm fall R and uh I just want to acknowledge that it's wonderful that people still remember uh it's only one day but it's a good day for everybody to remember and focus on not only the veterans that are alive but the ones that didn't make it home and that that's where I focus uh so I want to thank you all making this possible very important
4:49veterans thank you at this time I will read uh prepared did you want to speak sir please come
5:15ahead all right s the people your name please yes morning my name is Bob Taris gold star brother and I just wanted to say that it's very hard for me to talk about this even after all these years my brother was killed in Vietnam in 19 69 but I still get emotional so I wasn't going to say anything and I said you know what let my brother be recognized so uh my brother I have another brother
5:41he's a year older than me he has all my brother's medals and uh we're going to pass it down the line to to his children and my children as as we depart I guess you could say but anyway I just wanted to recognize my brother and I'm so proud of him but unfortunately he didn't make it home thank you thank you all for sharing your words at this time I'm going to read a
6:17small speech that I prepared in recognition of this day ladies and gentlemen distinguished guests veterans ghost our families and honored political leaders Today We Gather in Fall River to honor and recognize the Valor and sacrifices of our brave men and women who have served in United States armed forces on this National Purple Heart day we pause to pay tribute to those who have shed
6:47blood and endured the hardships of war in defense of our great nation and the freedoms we hold so very dear the purple heart is not just a metal it is a symbol of the courage and resilience of our service members it represents the sacrifices made on countless battlefields across the globe in moments of unimaginable adversity and in the Relentless pursuit of peace and security of our nation and its
7:18peoples each purple heart tells a story of Bravery dedication and an unwavering commitment to their country and to their duty to our veterans here today especially those from right here in Fall River you are the living embodiment of these values your service and sacrifice have safeguarded our way of life and have set an enduring example of for future Generations we owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be fully
7:52repaid your courage in the face of danger and your strength in times of trial Inspire us all to the gold star families who knows the meaning of sacrifice more than you your loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country their bravery and selflessness are woven into the very fabric of our city and our nation we honor their memory and pledge to support you as their legacy continues
8:24to inspire and guide us the city of Fall River stands with you and honor Hing your loved ones and the tremendous sacrifices they've made As We Gather here in our beloved City we are also reminded of the importance of unity and support within our own Community it is our duty to ensure that the sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten and that they receive the recognition and support they deserve Fall River is
8:55committed to standing by our veterans providing them with care respect and opportunities they have earned through their service on this Purple Heart Day let us also reflect on the meaning of service and sacrifice let us always remember that freedom comes at a cost and that it is not free the liberties we enjoy are preserved through the dedication and bravery of our military personnel let us honor their
9:23sacrifice by striving to build a nation and a city worthy of their heroism a community that values peace Justice and the Dignity of all citizens in closing I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all who have served and continued to serve our great nation particularly those from the city of Fall River and the surrounding areas your courage and sacrifice are the foundation of our freedom to the Purple Heart recipients
9:55in the crowd we honor you today and every day your Legacy a bravery will forever be remembered thank you and may God bless our veterans our ghost our families and the United States of America at this time mayor cougan will come forward and read a a proclamation
10:37a proclamation from the city of Fall River whereas Purple Heart day is observed annually on August 7th to honor and remember the brave men and women of the United States armed forces who have been wounded or killed in combat demonstrating extraordinary courage and sacrifice in defense of our great nation and whereas the purple heart is the oldest military decoration awarded to US service members established by George
11:06Washington in 1782 and serves as a symbol of the Valor and dedication of those who have borne the physical and emotional scars of battle whereas our city takes immense pride in its connection to the military and recognize the importance of commemorating the heroism and sacrifices made by those courageous individuals and whereas it is fitting and proper for our community to express G gratitude and
11:34support for all recipients of the Purple Heart their families and all veterans who have served our country with honor and whereas observance of Purple Heart day provides an opportunity to reflect on the cost of freedom and the profound commitment of our service members to preserving the nation's ideals and security that therefore I Paul Coogan Mayor of the city of Far River to hereby Proclaim Purple
12:04Heart day I urge all residents to recognize and honor the sacrifice of those who have been awarded the Purple Heart and to join in expressing our heartfelt appreciation for their bravery and sacrifice signed by me Paul Coogan Mayor of the city of Fall River
12:38at this time I would like to offer a chance for the chaplain to come forth and give us prayer good afternoon let us pray Lord God As We Gather on this Purple Heart Day to honor those who have sacrificed in the name of freedom and peace we show our respect and gratitude to those veterans and those serving and those who have lost their lives who have earned the Purple Heart being injured in
13:14service for giving their lives in service for our country and for our freedom we thank you for their sacrifices and lift them and their families up in prayer We Are Forever grateful for those Purple Heart recipients May their stories be respected their service elevated may your light and presence Lord be a soothing balm to the injuries that Mark their bodies minds and souls and to the
13:48families of those who gave their lives in service of our country may we advocate for their healing we ask your blessings upon them for their unselfish service and the ongoing struggle to preserve our freedom safety and the heritage of our American nation in the world today we humbly acknowledge our debt to them and ask for the strength to go on towards the ideals for which they fought
14:18they served and some died as they sacrificed of themselves to advance the ideal of world peace Justice and equality may they inspire our efforts towards this same end unite the people of our nation to defend freedom justice and equality and fight for the peace for which they sacrificed for this we ask in your most holy name amen um before tals comes and uh finishes it up I want to acknowledge um
14:56Tyra Le from representative fol 's office and obviously City councelor Andrew Raposa who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and we're also joined by city council vice president Linda Pereira tonight uh Government Center will be lit purple in honor of Purple Heart day and I'll now turn it over to our vso officer uh doc I know that wasn't the longest ceremony that you've attended um but I
15:28do want to thank every one for attending in recognition of Purple Heart day here in the city of Fall River and with that have a good afternoon thank