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BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Joey Strickland, COL (USA Retired) invites the public to attend the dedication of a braille flag and a Purple Heart plaque in the Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. The braille flag was donated by the Blinded Veterans Association, and the Purple Heart plaque was donated by the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

“We are honored to have both the braille flag and the Purple Heart plaque as permanent fixtures in the Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park,” said Secretary Strickland. “The braille flag will not only be used by blinded or low vision veterans, but by members of the public as well. And the Purple Heart plaque details the history of the award which is a solemn distinction signifying one’s service in the line of duty.”

Members of the Blinded Veterans Association serve as ambassadors and mentors for all veterans and their families coping with sight loss. The organization was founded in 1945 after a group of men who lost their sight during World War II wanted to assist their fellow veterans in recovery and assimilation back to civilian life. In 1946, Gen. Omar Bradley of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs appointed BVA as the first official representative of blinded veterans. The braille flag is affixed to the state directory information column in the veterans park near the Never Forget Garden in front of the Old Arsenal Museum.

The mission of the Military Order of the Purple Heart is to foster an environment of goodwill and camaraderie among combat wounded veterans and to provide service to all veterans and their families. The Purple Heart is frequently described as the military’s oldest medal. Gen. George Washington created it in 1782 to recognize meritorious service and called it the badge of Military Merit. The plaque will be located under the bust of Gen. Washington which is also in the veterans park near the Never Forget Garden.

For more information about the dedication or LDVA, visit vetaffairs.la.gov, email veteran@la.gov, call 225.219.5000 or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.