BUCKLAND — Town officials were joined by veterans and their families at Town Hall on Monday afternoon for a ceremony officially declaring Buckland to be a Purple Heart Town.
“I have the utmost admiration for all who served in the armed forces. I cannot begin to imagine the things that our soldiers went through, but I have seen personally some of the things that they came home with and how it changed their lives,” Selectboard Chair Clint Phillips said. “Whether it be a physical injury that you had to recover from … or whether it be psychological, many people don’t understand because they can’t see your pain.”
Phillips said he is the proud son of a Purple Heart veteran who served in the Vietnam War. Proclaiming the town as a Purple Heart Town is a recognition of his father’s service, as well as that of every other Buckland veteran.
“These soldiers didn’t do it for themselves; they did it for us. And I, for one, will never forget and will always be grateful,” Phillips said.
Along with a reading of a proclamation of gratitude to the town’s veterans, officials unveiled a Purple Heart Town sign. The town received five signs, which will be installed at various roadways heading into Buckland.
“It’s my hope that each time people pass these signs in our community, that they will take a moment and reflect on everything that these soldiers sacrificed to defend our way of life,” Phillips said.
“As the granddaughter, daughter and sister of a grandfather, father and brother who all served in the Marines, it is humbling to be here with you today,” said state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield. “It is incredibly important to remember the service of those who have given their lives to our nation and [served] our country. … It means a great deal to me, and I am enormously thankful to those of you who put this up and decided this is what we should do, because it is important to remember. It is important to recognize, and I couldn’t be prouder to be the state representative for a town like Buckland.”
Buckland had attempted to become a Purple Heart Town earlier this year, but due to procedural errors, it had to redo the ceremony with approval from the Military Order of the Purple Heart. At the time, Town Administrator Heather Butler said the town had been given a proclamation to use from another town and was unaware that additional steps were needed, but town officials were happy to “backpedal and do it right.”
Al Varelas, the Massachusetts Chapter 875 commander, said the Purple Heart was created by Gen. George Washington in 1782 as a badge of military merit. The Purple Heart symbolizes honor and courage, and is awarded to soldiers who are wounded and determined to be eligible by medical personnel.
“We’re a diminishing breed,” Varelas joked. “Thankfully our numbers are diminishing because we’re not having any more kids — I like to call them kids — getting injured.”
He added that the Military Order of the Purple Heart was created to support Purple Heart veterans and their families. The organization also assists communities that are looking to become a Purple Heart City or Town.
“The Military Order of the Purple Heart was established in 1932, chartered by Congress, to represent combat-wounded and Gold Star families,” Varelas explained.
Westborough became the first town in Massachusetts to be declared a Purple Heart Town in 2013. There are now more than 100 cities and towns in the state with the designation.
Varelas said he was proud Buckland took the steps to honor and celebrate its veterans, and he is always happy to support communities in becoming Purple Heart Towns.
“It’s an honor to be up here today; I enjoy doing this,” Varelas said. “I’d like to welcome the town to our family.”