ORLANDO, Fla. – We here at News 6 have a deep commitment to our nation’s veterans with our “Serving Those Who Served” segment and online coverage.
Several members of the News 6 team were honored this week by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for their coverage of the organization’s national convention in July.
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Our team considers it an honor to cover the stories that matter to our nation’s heroes, so when the Military Order of the Purple Heart reached out to us and asked us to cover their 91st Annual National Convention taking place right here in Orlando, we were immediately on board.
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The Purple Heart Medal is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action.
It is specifically a combat decoration. The Military Order of the Purple Heart was formed in 1932 to assist those who have received the decoration and is the only veterans service organization comprised strictly of combat veterans.
Locally, John Hillery, Commander of the Lakeland Chapter of the organization, and Larry McGrath, Treasurer, are passionate about helping other veterans. McGrath got in touch with executive producer Tara Evans, who spearheads the Serving Those Who Served coverage, to see about coverage of the conference.
“I have always had an immense respect for the men and women who serve our country and believe they deserve a lot more than they get. So when I heard about 300 Purple Heart recipients all coming to Orlando, of course, we had to cover it,” said Evans.
Trooper Steve Montiero, an Air Force veteran himself, was immediately on board to go On Patrol with Hillery and McGrath to be able to go in-depth about their military service and the ways they continue to serve the military community.
News 6 reporter Emily McLeod also often covers veterans’ issues and events, so she and photojournalist Homer Salcedo went to cover the conference itself, speaking with members about how the organization does a lot to support other veterans, including things like assistance with paying rents, help finding housing, jobs, scholarships for their families, among other things.
McGrath and Hillery, along with Hillery’s wife and daughter, came to the News 6 station on Sept. 9 to recognize News 6 for our coverage of this event, as well as our commitment to veterans.
They presented us with personalized certificates as well as a beautiful plaque to display for all to see in the newsroom.
“Receiving something like this from such an amazing group of men and women lets myself, and us here at News 6, know that our efforts to consistently recognize our veterans do not go unnoticed. Our Purple Heart recipients are the concrete in which a lot of us veterans feel we stand on,” said Montiero.
“The best thing about our jobs here at News 6 is sometimes what we consider just another day at work means the world to someone in the community we are serving,” said Evans. “There’s no better feeling than knowing we made an impact, especially when it’s a group like this that we owe so much to.”
“To be given an award by Purple Heart recipients is extremely humbling. I am always honored to sit down and tell the stories of our nation’s heroes and thank them for the sacrifices they’ve made protecting our freedoms,” said McLeod.
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