Cape becomes Purple Heart City to show support of wounded veterans

Cape Girardeau is now officially a Purple Heart City thanks to a proclamation delivered during Wednesday�s city council meeting.

The proclamation marks an agreement between the city and the Missouri Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veterans advocacy organization based in Springfield, Missouri.

John Dismer, MOPH regional commander, thanked city officials in a phone interview with the Southeast Missourian on Thursday.

�Becoming a Purple Heart City, it�s a visual reminder showing people support their combat-wounded veterans,� he said. �We sent them an invitation and they accepted it right away and wrote out a proclamation.�

The designation, he explained, will be reflected in commemorative signage that will be erected throughout Cape Girardeau.

�We probably have over 160, 165 cities, plus numerous colleges and high schools that are now Purple Heart organizations,� he said. �Plus, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals, too.�

The MOPH, Dismer said, has been erecting signage since 2011, when Branson, Missouri, became the first city in the state to become a Purple Heart City. Since then, roadways including interstates 70 and 44, he said, have also been added to the list.

�It shows the state is really supportive of veterans,� he said. �It�s a nice feeling when you are going through towns and start seeing the Purple Heart signs.�

He said his organization is hoping to add other communities and roadways to its list of designated sites.

Cape Girardeau city engineer Casey Brunke said Thursday the signage likely will go �at entry points into the city,� such as U.S. 61 and Route K. But since those roadways fall under the purview of the Missouri Department of Transportation, a proposal must be submitted to MoDOT and then be approved by the city council in a subsequent vote before the signs can be installed.

�We�re thinking maybe by the first of the year,� Brunke said, referring to the likely timeline for installation.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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