BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- On Aug. 7, 1782, George Washington created the "Badge of Merit," which was later revived as "The Purple Heart."

The Erie County Clerk's Office held its "William J. Donovan Purple Heart Recipient Book of Merit Ceremony" and raised the Purple Heart flag on Thursday, honoring the heroes who were injured or lost their lives while fighting for our nation's freedom.

"All I could say is thank the Lord that we got home safely, and for the friends of ours that we lost, that the Lord would bless their families and lift them up," said Kevin Michael Walters, a Purple Heart veteran who served in Vietnam.

Walters and his friend from grammar school, Paul Biellak, are both Purple Heart recipients from their service in the Vietnam War. When Walters got off the plane for the first

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