CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau is now officially a Purple Heart City thanks to a proclamation delivered during Wednesday's city council meeting.
The proclamation marks an agreement between the city and the Missouri Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veterans advocacy organization based in Springfield, Missouri.
John Dismer, MOPH regional commander, thanked city officials in a phone interview with the Southeast Missourian on Thursday.
"Becoming a Purple Heart City, it's a visual reminder showing people support their combat-wounded veterans," he said. "We sent them an invitation and they accepted it right away and wrote out a proclamation."
The designation, he explained, will be reflected in commemorative signage that will be erected throughout Cape Girardeau.
"We probably have over 160, 165 cities, plus numerous colleges and high schools that are now Purple Heart organizations," he said. "Plus, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals, too."
The MOPH, Dismer said, has been erecting signage since 2011, when Branson, Missouri, became the first city in the state to become a Purple Heart City. Since then, roadways including interstates 70 and 44, he said, have also been added to the list.
"It shows the state is really supportive of veterans," he said. "It's a nice feeling when you are going through towns and start seeing the Purple Heart signs."
He said his organization is hoping to add other communities and roadways to its list of designated sites.
Cape Girardeau city engineer Casey Brunke said Thursday the signage likely will go "at entry points into the city," such as U.S. 61 and Route K. But since those roadways fall under the purview of the Missouri Department of Transportation, a proposal must be submitted to MoDOT and then be approved by the city council in a subsequent vote before the signs can be installed.
"We're thinking maybe by the first of the year," Brunke said, referring to the likely timeline for installation.