The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) of Kentucky has named Hopkinsville Community College the first Purple Heart College in the state of Kentucky. The distinction was announced at a luncheon hosted by HCC Foundation to honor local Purple Heart recipients.
SGM(r) Irvin Lyons, Jr., Purple Heart Coordinator for Kentucky, shared information with luncheon attendees on the purpose of MOPH, which is to recognize the service of Purple Heart recipients and to spread the message of local heroes across the state.
“I look around the room and see all of these young folks sitting here. It’s fine to that we have some young leaders in the house, and this is our future,” said Lyons.
Lyons stated that HCC was the first college in Kentucky to be designated a Purple Heart College. Since then, KCTCS sister college, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College has also received the designation.
The Purple Heart medal is presented to service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military. A Purple Heart is a solemn distinction and means a servicemember has greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price while in the line of duty.
The HCC Foundation also announced a $4,000 annual scholarship to be awarded to a Purple Heart recipient or an immediate family member—spouse, child, or parent—of a Purple Heart recipient.
To apply for the Purple Heart Scholarship, contact Yvette Eastham, chief institutional advancement officer, at (270) 707-3731 or email: Yvette.eastham@kctcs.edu
