HARKER HEIGHTS — Monuments like the one dedicated Sunday in front of Harker Heights' city hall are near and dear to Federico Rey's heart.
They bring back a lot of memories for the Vietnam War veteran — memories "of friends no longer with us."
But, he went on to say while pointing to his head, they "still remain up here."
The city of Harker Heights and Central Texas 1876 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart hosted a dedication Sunday afternoon for a monument dedicated to those who received Purple Hearts.
The monument is located in front of Harker Heights City Hall at 305 Miller's Crossing.
Rey was a soldier from 1967 to 1969. He fought in the Vietnam War for a year, and was injured during a mortar attack on Dec. 22, 1967.
He now serves as commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart's Region V.
Also present at the ceremony were members from three other chapters, retired Maj. Gen. Stewart Meyer, Harker Heights Mayor Ed Mullen and officials from across Bell County.
Mullen, a Purple Heart recipient, said the medal is something those in uniform don't want and don't get excited about. He thanked the spouses and families of Purple Heart recipients, saying they are the ones most affected.
Meyer also talked about families' roles, saying those left behind had tremendous responsibilities and "we're proud of them."
(View KDH News article)