Johns Creek Mayor, Mike Bodker, on behalf of the Johns Creek City Council, recognized and honored those wounded or killed in defense of the nation during a Purple Heart Day ceremony at the Johns Creek Veterans Memorial Walk in the citys Newtown Park August 7.

The ceremony was hosted by the Johns Creek Veterans Association, in conjunction with National Purple Heart Day.

It is important that each time we see one of these statistics in the media or online that we do not allow ourselves to focus only on the number, said Bodker. I ask you to pause each time and take a moment to realize that there is a name and face associated with each number. It is a person whose life has been forever impacted by a specific violent event in the service of our nation.

About 100 people attended the ceremony in which Purple Heart recipients read several names of Georgia residents killed in action from World War II to Afghanistan. A bell tolled after each name.

From our nations independence to both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and the many other wars and conflicts in between, our freedom and way of life remains intact, said Bodker. And it did not come without a price. Those who wear the Purple Heart paid a significant price for us all.