Harrison Honored as a Purple Heart City

The City of Harrison joins the Purple Heart Trail in a moving City Council dedication ceremony.

The City of Harrison has taken great pride in honoring those who have served our nation, and now, that commitment has been recognized in a truly special way.

At the August 5, 2025 City Council meeting, Mayor Ryan Grubbs read the official proclamation declaring Harrison a Purple Heart City, a designation that recognizes the City’s lasting respect and support for America’s combat-wounded veterans.

During the October 21, 2025 City Council meeting, that proclamation came to life with a powerful Purple Heart City Dedication Ceremony.

Council Member Jean Wilson, a veteran herself, first presented the idea to Mayor Grubbs earlier this year. Together, they helped lead Harrison in officially joining the Purple Heart Trail, a network of communities across the nation that honor those who have been wounded or killed in combat.

The ceremony was led by Jerry Ferris, the current State of Ohio Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and a three-time Purple Heart recipient. Commander Ferris presented Mayor Grubbs and the City of Harrison with a commemorative plaque recognizing this great honor.

Joining him were fellow Vietnam veterans and Purple Heart recipients John Looker (three-time recipient, combat veteran) Glenn West (recipient, severely combat wounded), Charlie Toby (recipient, severely combat injured).

Together, these heroes stood before Council and community members to share in this moment of unity and gratitude. The veterans took a moment to honor the service and sacrifice of all veterans in attendance and presented commemorative coins to each veteran and every member of City Council.

As the evening closed, City Law Director William Deters captured the emotion of the night, saying,

“I’ve been coming to City Council meetings since 1992, and what I saw today is probably the coolest thing I’ve seen at a City Council meeting.”

The City of Harrison is deeply honored to be part of the Purple Heart Trail and will always stand as a community that respects, supports, and honors our nation’s veterans.

Check out the full gallery and highlights from the special ceremony below.

Article and photography by Amy Staiger, City of Harrison Communications Intern