The Miller County Quorum Court approved a resolution Monday night to make the county a Purple Heart County.
Justice of the Peace John Haltom presented the resolution, which was approved unanimously. The Purple Heart, created by George Washington in 1782 as the "Badge of Military Merit," is the oldest military decoration still in use.
"The Purple Heart was the first American Service Award made available to the common soldier, and is awarded to any member of the United States Armed Services wounded or killed in combat against a declared enemy of the United States," Haltom said. "The mission of The Military Order of the Purple Heart, chartered by an act of Congress, is to foster an environment of goodwill among the combat-wounded veteran members and their families, to promote patriotism, to support related legislative initiatives, and most importantly to make sure we never forget the sacrifices made by those so decorated.
"There have been many former Miller County residents who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives in the cause of freedom and there are numerous combat-wounded veterans who currently reside within Miller County, and as Purple Heart person who contributes to their community in countless ways. Miller County wishes to pledge it's strong support for the Military Order of the Purple Heart and those that put their lives at risk in the service of their country and their fellow citizens."
The Quorum Court also listened to a report from Miller County Chief Deputy Mark Lewis regarding how the 911 system for Miller County had a system failure about three months ago, where Lewis called it a "critical failure."
Lewis said to upgrade the system, the costs to the county would be $134,405.
He said the county is reviewing how to upgrade the system and that the current system is working through the use of "borrowed equipment" from Garland County.