NEW WINDSOR – Veterans, including Purple Heart recipients, and others gathered Saturday for the 20th anniversary of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor’s dedication in New Windsor. The hall’s current building, with its exhibits, was dedicated November 10, 2006.
“It’s a celebration. We’ve been here 20 years on this site preserving memories of Purple Heart recipients,” said Pete Bedrossian, the hall’s program director. “Even though what we do is about perhaps the worst day, it’s also a celebration of our ability to do that and bring that to everyone’s attention.”
While commanding the Continental Army in Newburgh, Gen. George Washington inspired today’s Purple Heart by issuing a general order on August 7, 1782, establishing a purple heart known as the Badge of Military Merit…