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Photo Information

Students at Galer Elementary School take a show off their support for others like them, the military child, by sporting purple clothing or accessories during the Purple Up! For Military Kids day, April 15. Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red and Navy blue.

Photo by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

Purple up, students showcase support

18 Apr 2013 | Sgt. Marcy Sanchez Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

Students of Laurel Bay schools and other public schools in Beaufort Coun­ty outfitted themselves in purple shirts as part of the Operation Military Kids’ Purple UP! For Military Kids day, April 15.

Classrooms that are nor­mally lined with red, white and blue polo shirts were substituted with purple shirts to show support to military children across the globe.

Operation Military Kids is an organization that aims to support children and youth impacted by deployment and connect military chil­dren with local resources in order to achieve a sense of community support and enhance their well-being.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, they en­couraged everyone across the U.S. to wear purple on Monday, April 15th as a visible way to show sup­port and thanks to military children for their strength and sacrifices. Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Ma­rine red and Navy blue.

The nationwide purple outfit day was part of a month long effort to rec­ognize military children around the world. Laurel Bay schools and the com­munity will hold various events to celebrate the mili­tary child such as picnics, dress-up days and other festivities.

In 1986 Caspar W. Wein­berger, the secretary of defense, designated each April as The Month of the Military Child. The month recognized the contribu­tions that military children make as their parent or par­ents serve.

For more information on The Month of the Military Child visit DODEA’s web­site at www.dodea.edu.