Kearns calls on Purple Heart recipients to be honored

Erie County clerk is asking Purple Heart veterans to come forward and be honored at 7th annual Purple Heart Day ceremony

Submitted by Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns

Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns will once again honor veterans who have received the Purple Heart by adding their names to the William J. Donovan Purple Heart Recipients Book of Merit.

Kearns encourages veterans awarded the Purple Heart, or their surviving family members, to submit their requests to his office by Aug. 1. This will allow their names to be included in the 2025 edition and to be part of this year’s ceremony.

Purple Heart veterans or their families must complete a short application, which can be obtained online at erie.gov/clerk/PurpleHeartForm or by email at salutes@erie.gov. Proof of the award must also be provided. Those with additional questions can contact the Erie County clerk’s office at 716-858-6787.

Kearns will recognize the William J. Donovan Purple Heart Recipients and honor all Purple Heart veterans during a ceremony Thursday, Aug. 7, coinciding with National Purple Heart Day. Complete details of the ceremony will be made available as the event date approaches.

“It is essential to honor the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country,” Kearns said. “They deserve our recognition, and I am committed to maintaining a record of our local military heroes at the Erie County Clerk’s Office.”

Since its inception in 2018, Kearns has made it his mission to annually add new recipients to the William J. Donovan Purple Heart Recipients Book of Merit. This year marks the sixth edition of the book, named after Buffalo native William J. Donovan, a prominent advocate for the Central Intelligence Agency. Donovan, a distinguished veteran, received three Purple Hearts during his military service and later led the predecessor of the CIA during World War II.

The complete volume of the William J. Donovan Purple Heart Book of Merit is on display year-round at the Erie County Clerk’s Office in Old County Hall, located at 92 Franklin St., Buffalo. The book currently holds the names of 575 individuals honored with the Purple Heart from Erie County.

The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration awarded to members of the U.S. military who are wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917. Originally called the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart was created by George Washington on Aug. 7, 1782. In addition to receiving a heart-shaped award, the honoree’s name and regiment were inscribed in a “Book of Merit,” which was lost after the Revolutionary War, causing the award to largely fade from memory until it was revived over 100 years later.

Additionally, Old County Hall will be illuminated in purple from Aug. 4-10 in recognition of Purple Heart Appreciation Day and to solemnly honor all service members injured or killed in action.