America’s Purple Heart Trail This monument marks the beginning of the Purple Heart Trai located just outside the entrance to Mt. Vernon, Virginia. (NAPSA)}—Oneofthe reasons that freedom thrives in America is because of brave men and women who endured the true pain of preserving thenation’s ideals. Indeed, some have given their lives to uphold justice and libertyforall. For these acts of individual bravery, the nation’s government presenisits oldest military decoration: the Purple Heart medal. The Purple Heart Trail wasestablished in 1992 by the Military Order ofthe Purple Heart to create a visual and symbolic tribute to those brave men and women. The Purple Heart Trail originates at a monument in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Mt. Vernonis the buriallocation of George Washington, the nation’s first president, the commanderin chief of the Revolutionary Army, and the fatherof the Purple Heart award. Currently, 45 states have enactedlegislation to havesomeportion oftheir road sys- It is tem dedicated to honor Purple Heart recipients, and other states are now working on dedicating sectionsof their road system. Montana and Kansas have dedicated their state’s entire interstate system as the Purple Heart Trail. Currently, the longest part of the trail runs along I-80 from San Francisco to the Wyoming-Nebraska border, and Nebraskais tryingto get its portion of I-80 so designated. Signs have been placed in manylocations across America indicating roads, highways and even bridges where states and localities have enacted legislation to mark their portion of the Purple Heart Trail. Guam and Puerto Rico havealso acted to honor Purple Heart recipients this way. These signs present a visual reminder to those who travel freely through the nation that freedom is not without cost.
