JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Jacksonville Beach on Friday honored those who keep our country safe.
Veterans, family and friends gathered to honor Purple Heart recipients and named Jacksonville Beach a “Purple Heart City.”
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Craig Dunning, a Vietnam War veteran, was one of the men recognized.
“I lost a lot of men out there. I lost 200 in one day, if you can believe that, and I’ll never forget it,” Dunning said.
Dunning was a tunnel rat in the Vietnam War and has received five Purple Hearts. He was one of the many Purple Heart recipients honored at the event.
“We’re recognizing people, the city is recognizing people, who received the Purple Heart from getting wounded in combat and really it’s representing all the veterans," Gerry Stalmaker, Fighter Pilot in the Air Force for 30 years, said.
The city also moved the Veterans Memorial to Oceanfront Park on 1st Street and 6th Avenue where they unveiled the Purple Heart City sign.
Going forward, Nov. 6 will be known as Purple Heart Day in the city of Jacksonville Beach.
Jacksonville Beach is now a #PurpleHeartCity 💜
— Danielle Uliano (@DanielleUliano) November 6, 2020
The city relocated the Veterans Memorial to Oceanfront Park in Jax Beach and held a beautiful ceremony to unveil the new Purple Heart City location and honor our Veterans 🇺🇸 @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/UpfZDEgHro