ROWLEY – The town will honor Purple Heart recipients at a ceremony Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 11:00 am. at the Star Garden next to Town Hall.
The ceremony will recognize two local Purple Heart recipients, Chet Bishop and Nick Ford.
The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest military medal, created by Gen. George Washington as the Badge of Military Merit in 1782. It was revived in 1932 as the medal it is today.
Bishop, a Vietnam War veteran, received two Purple Hearts during his service. He was in the Navy and assigned to river boat duty in Vietnam. He received his first Purple Heart while manning a 50-caliber machine gun when an RPG hit the boat and he was wounded. After spending time in the hospital, he was reassigned to another river boat. On that mission, he was in the wheelhouse when the boat was again hit by an RPG, resulting in a more severe wound.
Ford, a special-operations combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, served with the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment as an Assault Team Member. In 2005, his team carried out a raid against a High Value Target of al-Qaeda. During the raid, one of his teammates was wounded by gunfire.
While treating his teammate, an enemy combatant threw a hand grenade toward their position. Ford covered his teammate with his body to shield him from further injury. The raid was completed with no friendly casualties and the High Value Target was eliminated.
“We do not celebrate this day with parades or fireworks, but with a remembrance of those men and women who endured so much so that others would not have to, Rowley veteran Walt Pomerleau said at a previous Purple Heart ceremony.
“We recognize your contributions, express our deepest gratitude, and we will always remember your efforts,” Pomerleau said. “We owe you so much.”
[The Town Common thanks Tammy Garron for her contribution to this article.]
