San Mateo County will raise the Purple Heart flag for the first time Friday, Aug. 7, at a public ceremony honoring veterans wounded or killed in combat.

The flag-raising begins at 1 p.m. at 500 County Center in Redwood City, near the flagpoles. The ceremony and a formal Board of Supervisors proclamation to follow apply county-wide, covering all San Mateo County residents including those in Burlingame and Hillsborough.

Purple Heart recipients are expected to attend, and the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office honor guard will present colors, according to a press release from the county CEO's office. The ceremony is open to the public.

Supervisors Ray Mueller and Lisa Gauthier co-sponsored the event and plan to bring a formal proclamation recognizing Purple Heart Day in San Mateo County before the full Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Aug. 11. That meeting begins at 9 a.m. at 400 County Center in Redwood City and is open to in-person and remote attendance. The county describes the proclamation vote as expected but has not yet published the Aug. 11 agenda.

"Purple Heart recipients are our neighbors, friends, and community members," Gauthier said in the county's Aug. 4 announcement. "Some carry visible reminders of the injuries they sustained in service to our nation, while others carry challenges not so easily seen."

Mueller, who represents District 3, called the Purple Heart "one of our nation's most meaningful symbols of courage and sacrifice" in the same release. Gauthier, elected in November 2024 to represent District 4, said the ceremony offers a chance to recognize recipients and express gratitude to them and their families. Neither supervisor's district includes Burlingame or Hillsborough, which fall in District 1.

Purple Heart Day falls on Aug. 7 each year, marking the 244th anniversary of General George Washington's 1782 creation of the Badge of Military Merit. The decoration is the oldest active military award still presented to American service members, and more than 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since its creation, according to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor. Since 1942, the medal has been reserved exclusively for service members wounded or killed by enemy action.

Residents can watch the Aug. 11 Board meeting online or attend in person at 400 County Center.