Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park

A Buffalo native who now serves as Commandant of the Naval District in Washington, D.C. is in Western New York, where he will help welcome 20 new sailors into the Navy during his stay.

Today is the annual observance of Purple Heart Day in the United States. First created by George Washington on August 7, 1782, it's the world's oldest military decoration currently being used. Many veterans and families of deceased veterans who are owed this medal, however, must often undergo a painstaking process to acquire the deserved medal.

One of the three decommissioned vessels which rest in the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park is in need of hull repairs. Earlier this year, a $2 million fundraising campaign was announced to fix the USS The Sullivans. The granddaughter of one of the men for whom the ship was named recently chatted with WBFO to provide an update on that effort.

Several men who once served aboard the original U.S.S. Little Rock have come to Buffalo to help give it some repairs and cleanup, in advance of the summer tourist season. They've also loaned their voices to share the Little Rock's story to Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park visitors.

Two state lawmakers, one from each house of the Legislature, are announcing funding that brings a long-desired memorial closer to reality on Buffalo's waterfront.

Construction of a new monument paying tribute to African-American veterans is expected to begin this spring, boosted by the recent awarding of a $600,000 state grant.

The "Date Which Will Live in Infamy" was remembered, as it always is on December 7, at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park. This year's edition of the Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony featured honors for two veterans who served on submarines in World War II and remarks from one of the officers aboard the soon-to-be-commissioned new USS Little Rock LCS9.

Ceremonies were hosted throughout the United States Monday morning, 16 years after the 9/11 terror attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. Remembrances held in Buffalo included one held within the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

Seventy-five years after Japanese forces attacked U.S. military installation at Pearl Harbor, Western New Yorkers gathered at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park to remember the more than 2,400 Americans killed in the event which led to the nation joining World War II.

This Veterans Day holiday, the contractor that has built what will soon become the new USS Little Rock is hoping to build excitement for what will be the first-ever commissioning of a Naval vessel next to its decommissioned counterpart.

While Western New Yorkers are marking Flag Day, there were three special occasions marked Tuesday morning at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, including the dedication of a garden celebrating two centuries of friendship with America's northern neighbor.

The United States Air Force is being honored by the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park, during what's known as Air Force Salute to Service Week. 

Nearly 300 people who were killed in action during the Vietnam War are now among thousands more entered into the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, seven years after the effort began.

A group of more than 100 teenagers gathered at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park for some extensive training over the past week.