BELLBROOK — The City of Bellbrook is becoming a Purple Heart City.

The designation, which will be announced via proclamation Monday, Sept. 11, allows the city to be a part of the Purple Heart Trail which commemorates military men and women who have been injured in combat. The Purple Heart Trail starts in Mount Vernon, Va., and includes all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

“On behalf of the City of Bellbrook, our Mayor, and City Council, we are pleased to accept the designation of Purple Heart City and to be a part of the Purple Heart Trail,” said council member Nick Edwards. “Bellbrook is home to many active military service members, veterans, and several purple heart recipients. We are proud and honored to be able to show our support to all of the purple heart recipients in the Miami Valley and thank them and their families for the sacrifices they have made to keep our country and citizens safe and secure.”

The effort to designate Bellbrook as a Purple Heart City has been led by city council members and the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veteran service organization comprised of combat veterans who were wounded on the battlefield while serving the country in uniform. These veterans have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal for their sacrifice.

The Purple Heart Medal was established by General George Washington in 1782 and as of April 2015, there were more than 1.75 million recipients. The Military Order of the Purple Heart has 45,000 members in 478 chapters across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The Military Order of the Purple Heart promotes patriotism, fraternalism, community service, and education including educational scholarships and supporting ROTC organizations.

For more information on the Military Order of the Purple Heart, go to www.purpleheart.org.