Dragons to Honor Gold Star Families, Purple Heart Recipients

DAYTON, OHIO-In conjunction with the 2015 Ohio Challenge Warrior Weekend to Remember, and with the support of Team Fastrax and the Blue Skies for the Good Guys and Gals Warrior Foundation, the Dayton Dragons will recognize and honor 30 Purple Heart recipients and six Gold Star families during pregame ceremonies on Friday, July 10. The Dragons host the Lansing Lugnuts at 7:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Field. 

As a special tribute, Team Fastrax will be skydiving in with custom-made Purple Heart and Gold Star flags to honor these warriors and families.  

This event is sponsored by QUANTRUM, LLC, with additional support from Fifth Third Bank, CDO Technologies, and the City of Dayton.  

The Gold Star Flag

Blue Star and Gold Star banners were first flown during World War I. A Blue Star banner included one blue star for each family member serving in the armed forces of the United States, during a period of war or hostilities in which the US was engaged. If a loved one died, the blue star was replaced with a gold star. This allowed the community to know the price that family paid in support of freedom. The Gold Star Flag symbolizes the sacrifice that Gold Star Families made when a father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or other loved one died in service to the nation. The strength of our nation is our military. The strength of our military is our veterans. The strength of our veterans is their families and no one has given more for the nation than the families of the fallen.

The Purple Heart

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed. The original Purple Heart was established by George Washington, then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, on August 7, 1782, and was called The Badge of Military Merit. The Badge of Military Merit was only ever awarded to three revolutionary war soldiers. While never abolished, the badge was not proposed again until World War I, when it was re-established as the Purple Heart by Executive Order of the President of the United States, on February 22, 1932. The first recipient of the Purple Heart was General Douglas MacArthur and there have been an estimated 1.8 million Purple Hearts awarded. The Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members.