While the Board of County Commissioners meeting was cut short on Tuesday Nov. 7, 2017 due to two bomb threats to the courthouse, before evacuations the commissioners were fortunately able to proclaim Hernando County to be a Purple Heart County.
Members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Aaron A. Weaver Chapter 776 (in Lecanto) were present for the proclamation: Christopher Boreland the Junior Vice Commander, Richard Hunt, the Florida State Commander of the MOPH and Joe McClister, Finance Officer MOPH CH 776. Boreland, spearheaded the initiative with the assistance of Commissioners John Mitten (former) and Jeff Holcomb.
The county will be funding and placing purple heart county road signs at entrances to the county along the major thoroughfares. Chapter 176 donated a MOPH Flag to the county to be flown on two days of the year: George Washington’s Birthday and Purple Heart Day which is every August 7. The county is free to fly the flag any other day at their discretion.
Boreland, from Spring Hill, described the purpose of the designation, to “recognize and honor Purple Heart Veterans and their families.”