ROSEVILLE, Calif. — In a ceremony honoring combat wounded veterans and their families, the city of Roseville has gained the status of “Purple Heart City,” an honor conferred by the Military Order of the Purple Heart
“For us, it means that we recognize the sacrifices that not only the active duty military make, but their families make,” said Roseville Mayor Bruce Houdesheldt.
The Purple Heart is an honor that comes with great sacrifice.
Retired Marine Colonel John McKay was in attendance; he received two Purple Hearts in two combat tours in Vietnam.
“It’s a medal you don’t want to get,” McKay said.
In one of his injuries, McKay was shot in the head and lost an eye.
“There was an instantaneous period of time there, that I simply said, ‘I’m dead.’ There was no great revelation. God didn’t come down and talk to me,” McKay said.
McKay lived and went on to have a full Marine Corps career and retire a colonel.
Alongside other combat wounded veterans, McKay was honored for his service in the ceremony marking Roseville’s designation as a Purple Heart City.
The designation comes with new signage around town from the Military Order of the Purple Heart and a plaque that will be prominently displayed by the city.
It also comes at a time, McKay says, when people have forgotten what a Purple Heart means.
“In today’s world, I’ve had my wife’s niece ask me what this ribbon is for, and people don’t recognize that,” he said.
It’s the reason why cities like Roseville take moments like this, said Mayor Houdesheldt.
“It really, to me, it is a recognition of the sacrifice and the service,” he said.
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