A Purple Heart medal is shown mowed into a lawn in Thomas Bull Memorial Park on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007, in Hamptonburgh, N.Y. The replica medal, created by Roger Baker, occupies an area of 850,000 square feet and measures more than 1,000 feet long.
HAMPTONBURGH, N.Y. (AP) – An artist has mowed an 850,000-square-foot rendering of a Purple Heart medal into a park field to honor the 75th anniversary of the medal that commends service members killed or wounded in action.
The rendering, to be unveiled Sunday in Thomas Bull Memorial Park in this city 55 miles northwest of New York City, was done by field artist and painter Roger Baker, whose past works include the Statue of Liberty and Elvis Presley.
According to Baker, the project followed a chance meeting with Bill Bacon, membership director of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. After meeting with officials from The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and Orange County parks, the plan was on.
The New Windsor Cantonment, in what is now Orange County, was the final encampment of the Revolutionary Army. To honor the service of select troops, Gen. George Washington presented a small purple cloth Badge of Merit _ the precursor to the Purple Heart medal.
In 1932, the Purple Heart was awarded to 150 veterans of World War I. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor opened in New Windsor in 2006.
Baker’s design was based on a photograph of the medal awarded to Art Livesey, a Middletown, N.Y., Marine Corps veteran who was wounded at Iwo Jima.
Wild Thing’s comment……..
I think it is great when people do things to draw attention to the sacrifices our Veterans and troops today have made for all of us. We owe them more then we can ever repay and with all my heart I want them to know how all of us feel about them. How much they do and have done is appreciated. So I think this is neat and wonderful this rendering and I am so glad they did this.
When I was growing up my Father took us on a vacation every summer. Many of my favorite vacations were the ones he took us to the historical places in our country where I learned why this counrtry is special and the greatness of the USA because of our military and our Veterans. Visiting Arlington and other places, that touch our lives every day in what they mean to all of us.
JOHN 15:13 reads “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Ephesians 6:11-20 states “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. …”
Great scuplpture in grass, thanks for sharing WT.
Darth’s two Biblical passages have said it all. Most people, the uninitiated, don’t associate the legitimate Purple Heart award with a near death experience or it’s posthumous awarding. Only those now living who have recieved the award and those who have served with them will ever know.
Lovely.
Kudos to the artist.
For the Band of Brothers and Sisters, we salute you.
Darth thank you for those verses, Jack is right they say it all.
Jack well put.
Lynn I love those words Band of Brothers it carries so much with them.