The Military Order of the Purple Heart Marietta Chapter 743 unveiled a Purple Heart Memorial Monument at Gold Star Park in Marietta on Wednesday. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

MARIETTA — A crowd gathered in Gold Star Park Wednesday morning to honor recipients of the Purple Heart.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart Marietta Chapter 743 held a ceremony to unveil a new Purple Heart Memorial Monument the group installed at Gold Star Park in Marietta.

An honor guard posted the colors to start off the ceremony and then the national anthem was sung by Marietta youth Sam Phelps.

Two Purple Heart recipients, Tom Valentine and Regis Kern, brought a wreath with black and purple flowers and a purple ribbon to the monument and then unveiled it. The monument is black, emblazoned with an image of the Purple Heart, with the phrase “All gave some, Some Gave All” underneath. The monument also includes a bench with the same phrase.

Mayor Joshua Schlicher spoke and read a proclamation from the city of Marietta recognizing Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Recognition Day in Marietta. Aug. 7 is nationally known as Purple Heart Recognition Day.

Military Order of the Purple Heart Marietta Chapter 743 Commander Larry Proctor speaks during a ceremony to unveil a new Purple Heart Memorial Monument at Marietta’s Gold Star Park Wednesday morning. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“It’s an honor to be here to represent the city of Marietta,” Schlicher said.

He said he was honored and proud that Gold Star Park has transitioned into such a beautiful memorial to the Armed Forces.

He also gave a brief history of the Purple Heart, stating that it is the oldest military decoration in present use and was initially created by George Washington as a badge of military merit Aug. 7, 1782. He said it was reestablished as the Purple Heart by Gen. Douglas MacArthur on Feb. 22, 1932.

Washington County Commissioner James Booth also spoke and read a proclamation from Washington County recognizing Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Recognition Day.

“First of all, as a combat Army veteran, I’m honored to be standing here in front of you today representing the Board of County Commissioners,” Booth said. “We all hold dear in our hearts the sacrifice that is given by all of our veterans at all times of conflict.”

Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient Jim “Doc” McCloughan, third from left, speaks at a ceremony on Wednesday morning to unveil a new Purple Heart Memorial Monument at Gold Star Park in Marietta. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Then Military Order of the Purple Heart Marietta Chapter 743 Commander Larry Proctor spoke, at times becoming choked up from tears as he talked about the Purple Heart and veterans who have received it.

A moment of silence was held in honor of those who have received a Purple Heart, then Proctor talked about the guest speaker, Jim McCloughan, who is a Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient.

He said there are no words to describe “what this man did, risking his own life to rescue his fellow (soldiers), his fellow comrades at the time, with no regard for his own safety and his own life.”

Proctor said during a two-day battle that occurred May 13-15, 1969, McCloughan rescued and saved the lives of 11 men.

“To do it one time is honorable,” Proctor said. “To do it over and over and over 11 times in two days there are no words … there are no words that can describe that kind of heroic action.”

Purple Heart recipients Regis Kern, left, and Tom Valentine, right, unveil the new Purple Heart Memorial Monument at Gold Star Park in Marietta Wednesday morning. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

Proctor said McCloughan was injured in the arm during the battle but refused to go on a medivac helicopter so he could stay and take care of the soldiers in his company.

Jim “Doc” McCloughan spoke about his time in Vietnam as a combat medic, his career as a teacher and coach and the two-day battle near Nui Yon Hill that led to him receiving a Medal of Honor and a Purple Heart.

He thanked everyone who came to the ceremony.

“You’re the main reason why we can unveil this because you came with honor to recognize those that have sacrificed sometimes parts of their body for this particular nation and as I’ll mention later on, their entire life.”

According to McCloughan, he was a member of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division and there were 89 men in his company.

An honor guard performs the posting of colors during a ceremony for the new Purple Heart Memorial Monument at Gold Star Park. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

He said when the company got to Tam Ky near Nui Yon Hill on May 13, 1969, there was something they didn’t know.

“What we didn’t know and found out later on was there were 2,000 (North Vietnamese) and 700 (Viet Cong) on that hill and 89 of us minus those that were injured and got dusted off,” he said.

He said he and the men in his company ended up like family and as their medic he would do anything to help them and he was taught at a young age by his father to never do anything halfway but to do it to the best of your ability until the job is done.

“That’s why I refused to get on the helicopter the first night,” McCloughan said. “I would rather be dead in a rice paddy than alive in a hospital and know that Jim McCloughan wasn’t there to do his part on the team and to save a life of one of my brothers.”

At the end of the ceremony the honor guard gave a rifle salute and retired the colors.

Sandwiches were provided for ceremony attendees at the Ronnie W. Davis Memorial VFW Post 5108 in Marietta after the ceremony.

To learn more about the Military Order of the Purple Heart visit https://www.purpleheart.org.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com