Veteran's Day Event at KSC

NASA Public Affairs Officer Derrick Matthews (far left) reads a proclamation by the Military Order of the Purple Heart designating Kennedy Space Center a Purple Heart Entity during a Veterans Day observance event in Kennedy’s Training Auditorium in Florida on Nov. 7, 2019. Following the reading, Military Order of the Purple Heart National Adjutant Ernie Rivera (second from left) and Department of Florida Commander Christopher Vedvick presented Kennedy’s Associate Director, Technical, Kelvin Manning (third from right), and the Veterans employee resource group chair Ana Contreras and executive champion Edwin Martinez, with a plaque stating this recognition. Kennedy is the first NASA center to receive this designation for support and services provided to veterans through the spaceport’s Veterans employee resource group. Attendees included Kennedy employees and more than 20 Purple Heart recipients. Following the award presentation, Vedvick, a combat wounded veteran, spoke about his experience serving in the United States Army before retiring, his involvement in the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the purpose of the organization.