Knox to become 'Purple Heart County'

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is looking to make Knox County the first "Purple Heart County" in Tennessee.

And he is asking the County Commission to proclaim the designation at the board's meeting later this month.

In a released statement, the mayor said: "This nation was built on the shoulders of men and women in our Armed Forces, and we owe our freedom and everything that is good in this country to their willingness to fight on our behalf. Many of our veterans were called away to war, and too many of them were in injured or never returned. If approved, this designation will be yet another way that Knox County shows support for those who take up arms in defense of our great country."

The Purple Heart is a combat decoration awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were wounded in combat.

You can find out more about the mayor's efforts, right smack here.

In his released statement, the mayor also noted that three commissioners - Richard Briggs, Dave Wright and Jeff Ownby - served in the forces, as have a number of county employees (including HR head honcho Col. Richard Julian). He also pointed out that Veterans Service Officer Robert "Buzz" Buswell is a Purple Heart recipient.