Oak Lawn Becomes Illinois' First 'Purple Heart Village'

On Tuesday night, Oak Lawn became the first village in the state of Illinois to be declared a “Purple Heart Village.” Members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart presented the village with a Purple Heart flag and thanked the village for its support at the June 25 village board meeting.

Oak Lawn’s Chapter 575, the state’s largest chapter of MOPH, has done a great amount of community service for Oak Lawn, from participating in the community’s patriotic events to educating Oak Lawn’s students through their personal histories.

The chapter created the first-ever movable memorial wall of honor, which displays the ceramic portraits of Illinois’ post-9/11 fallen veterans. Two of Chapter 575’s members have served on the state board as Department Commander within the past five years alone.

Christina Finn of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart expressed her gratitude to the village board by presenting Mayor Sandra Bury with a Purple Angel pin following Bury’s official declaration.

“I’m so proud to be a resident of this community,” Finn said. “Our son served overseas and I know that when he came home, he was so grateful that he knew that he could come back to Oak Lawn.”

MOPH’s mission is to foster an environment of goodwill among combat-wounded veterans and their families, promote patriotism, support legislative initiatives and make sure the members of the community never forget those who have fallen. 

This new declaration acknowledges the bravery and courage of Purple Heart veterans and ensures that they will never be forgotten.