Saluting Niagara County Purple Hearts

Jacob Fries, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jun. 28—LOCKPORT — A monument dedicated to the Purple Heart recipients of Niagara County is in an exploratory phase with the Niagara County Legislature.

The creation of a monument would help cement the county's status as a "Purple Heart County," Legislator David Godfrey said.

The idea for the monument was proposed by former county legislator Dennis Virtuoso. Considering the county clerk's office has a registry of Purple Heart recipients, it seemed like being near the courthouse was an ideal place for the monument.

"We have signs saying that Niagara is a Purple Heart County when you enter the county, we have special parking at the courthouse, and of course the registry for Purple Heart recipients is right there at the clerk's office at the courthouse," said Godfrey. "So we thought it was appropriate that we should have a memorial there."

The proposed monument would be a 7-and-a-half foot high slab of black granite which would have the Purple Heart emblem engraved into it. The slab would be surrounded by four smaller slabs of black granite, each planned to be 3-feet high and 4-feet wide. Each of the smaller slabs would have 100 names of Niagara County Purple Heart recipients engraved on them.

At least 200 names have already been registered for the monument. A heart shaped walkway has even been planned to surround the monument.

Current estimates for the price on the monument put it at $94,000, but Godfrey is hoping to get it lowered to somewhere closer to $80,000. How the funds would be allocated for the monument has yet to be determined, as it would still need to be reviewed by the county manager and budget director.

Godfrey is hoping that things go quickly enough with the Legislature for groundbreaking to happen on Aug. 7, which is Purple Heart Day. With that in mind, he's also hoping that it would be able to be completed by Memorial Day of next year. Though neither of these dates have been set in stone as of yet.

Godfrey has also emphasized that anyone who's a Purple Heart recipient, and has also ever been a resident of Niagara County can have their name engraved on one of the four surrounding stones on the monument. This applies for recipients both living and deceased. Interested recipients, or families of recipients should contact the Niagara County clerk's office at 716-439-7022 about getting their name in the registry.

"This is to recognize those that have given up themselves to protect this country, and freedom." said Godfrey. "All Purple Heart recipients have sacrificed a tremendous amount for the good of this country, and we need to recognize that.