JENKS, Okla. — The Jenks Veterans Advisory Council is looking for more honorees on the Purple Heart Memorial.
The wall, located at Veterans Park, all started from a simple station from Sherrie Bullock.
“I had approached Mayor Box, about asking how we could go about planting a tree in my dad’s honor,” Bullock said.
When that suggestion reached Mayor Cory Box’s desk, he thought bigger.
“We came up with this idea that maybe we just need to make this something more than a tree planting,” Box said.
The result was the Purple Heart Memorial. The inaugural honoree: Cpl. William Harley Bullock; Sherrie’s dad.
Bullock, a Marine, received his Purple Heart after service in Vietnam.
“He’s always been very proud of being an American. I know, growing up, it was his faith, our country, and his family were his top pride,” Bullock said.
39 spots remain for plaques. People interested in honoring their family members can visit this link to apply. The city provides the plaque, but families pay for the engraving. According to the application, the engraving costs between $35 and $45.
“We really had to get that right. Not only for the sake of accountability, but we need to be accountable to verify that anybody that makes it up on that wall is actually, indeed, a Purple Heart recipient,” Box said.
Bullock honors her dad through the memorial and by her service on the Jenks Veterans Advisory Council.
The council brings ideas, like this memorial, to city leadership for consideration.
“Like most really good ideas, in the City of Jenks, that we’re blessed to execute, it came from one of our residents so we give Sherrie thanks,” Box said, “We honor her family for their service, and any chance we can honor our veterans, it’s a great day for us. We love to do that.”
“I hope that they realize what the freedoms that they have are, because of the men and women like my dad,” Bullock said.
The Veterans Advisory Council is available at jvac2024ok@gmail.com
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