New Lenox Named Purple Heart Community

As New Lenox residents reel from the shock of vandalism to a memorial for its veterans, the Village received a fitting distinction.

During an Oct. 27 village board meeting, the Village was declared a Purple Heart Community, recognizing its residents who have received the elite military honor.

Mayor Baldermann presented the proclamation to members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 252. The Village was gifted with a commemorative Military of the Purple Heart flag.

Read: Almost $30,000 Raised to Repair New Lenox Veterans Memorial Damaged by Vandal

Purple Heart recipients Bill Minnich, Art Schultz, and John Domina donned purple shirts, purple satin jackets and purple Garrison caps for the occasion.

“He was shot, I was shot, and he got the worst of it,” said Minnich, a Korean War veteran, as he pointed to Schultz and Domina, as reported by Sun-Times Media.

Schultz is a Korean War veteran; Domina served in Vietnam. The three are part of a select 2 million military members wounded or killed in service, then awarded a Purple Heart.

Baldermann noted the poignance of the designation, in light of the damaged memorial.

“We’ve talked quite a bit about the damage to the memorial over there,” Baldermann said, as reported by the Sun-Times, “but the truth is we’ve been the home of proud Americans for a long time.”