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At its regular meeting on June 20, the Liberty Lake City Council unanimously approved a proclamation declaring Liberty Lake a "Purple Heart City" in recognition and in honor of the Purple Heart recipients among those in the nation's military service.  Below is the text of that city proclamation:

WHEREAS, on August 7, 1782, George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit, which was the first medal authorized for enlisted soldiers in the Continental Army to recognize a “singularly meritorious action” by a solider; and 

WHEREAS, on February 22, 1932, US Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur established the Purple Heart Award in the spirit of the Badge of Military Merit in honor of George Washington’s bicentennial birthday and authorized the award for soldiers in the United States Army for soldiers who are wounded or lose their lives in military action and August 7th is annually recognized as Purple Heart Day; and 

WHEREAS, in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the Purple Heart Award to other branches of the United States military by authorizing the Navy Department to award the Purple Heart to personnel wounded or killed in action beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941; and today the Purple Heart is authorized for people serving in all branches of the United States military who are wounded or lose their lives in military actions; and 

WHEREAS, following the attack at Pearl Harbor, until the day she passed away, Eleanore Roosevelt carried in her wallet a piece of paper with the following written upon it: “Dear lord, lest I continue in my complacent ways, help me to remember that somewhere someone died for me today. And if there be war, help me to remember to ask, ‘Am I worth dying for?’” and in our own daily walk, we should always remember those serving and their families and honor their service and their sacrifices in our words, hearts, and actions; and 

WHEREAS, the James R. Shively Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1435, which represents and advocates for veterans in the community of Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley, requests the City of Liberty Lake declare itself a “Purple Heart City” and the City of Liberty Lake would like to honor and remember people wounded and who have lost their lives in action and in service to our country. 

NOW THEREFORE, I, Phil Folyer, Mayor Pro-Tem of the City of Liberty Lake, Washington, do hereby declare the City of Liberty Lake to be a PURPLE HEART CITY and we commit ourselves and our community to remembering and honoring recipients of the Purple Heart Award in our words, hearts, and actions. 

Signed this 20th day of June, 2023

Phil Folyer, Mayor Pro-Tem