Zoom. Virtual event with Purple Heart recipient and author Derl Horn

The National Purple Heart Honor Mission will be hosting a special virtual event with Purple Heart recipient and author of “Blood, Sweat and Honor: Memoirs of a ‘Walking Dead Marine’ in Vietnam, Derl Horn, on Tuesday, April 27, at 7 p.m.

On July 2, 1967, Derl Horn and members of Bravo Company walked into a U-shaped ambush just north of the DMZ.

The company of Marines showed tremendous courage against unbeatable odds as they spent hours fighting for their own lives and the lives of their fellow Marines.

They were trapped and pinned down in what looked to be a hopeless and helpless situation, but they refused to give up.

For all involved, it would be a day that changed their lives forever. U.S. Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient Derl Horn will share an inspiring, powerful and true story of being drafted into the Marine Corps during the height of the Vietnam War, and how it shaped the projection of his life in the years after his service.

Visit purpleheartmission.org to register.

Commemorative coin

Meanwhile, momentum continues to build toward the 2022 release of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin.

The Honor Mission continues to engage with the U.S. Mint, its artists and design team to develop a three-coin series that pays tribute to the service and sacrifice of our Purple Heart heroes. Purple Heart recipients bear the scars of war and some have given their lives so that we can live free.

These special edition coins will be a tribute to that deep commitment to freedom and democracy. Theses commemorative coins will be unveiled later this year and those interested will be told how they can be purchased.