Lead Summary
Rock County Commissioners signed a proclamation Tuesday morning, July 10, designating Rock County as a Purple Heart County to honor local veterans who were wounded or killed while protecting the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans. “The Purple Heart is not an earned award but a reward for shedding blood,” said Ken Teunissen (right) with the Military Order of The Purple Heart Chapter 5355 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Teunissen, along with chapter member Buck Underwood of Luverne (left), witnessed commissioner chair Sherri Thompson sign the symbolic proclamation. Luverne was proclaimed a Purple Heart City in 2016.