By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury/Worcester – The Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge that spans Lake Quinsigamond connecting Shrewsbury to Worcester was aglow in purple on Aug. 7 to commemorate National Purple Heart Day. As such, it was lit to “remember the bravery of the men and women who were injured or paid the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield,” according to the Mass. Department of Transportation. The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston was also lit purple.
The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army – in 1782. The Purple Heart was revived in 1931 on the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth. For more information visit the Military Order of the Purple Heart’s website at www.mophhq.org.
