READING, Pa. — Banners line the streets of Reading, marking the Purple Heart Trail, which stretches from the Penn Street Bridge to Veterans Grove in City Park.
"It's not for any one person. It's for everyone who served, who gave the ultimate sacrifice," said Anthony Manzolillo, who serves on the Combined Veterans Council of Berks County and as the commander of American Legion Gregg Post 12 in Reading.
He said the trail has been a couple years in the making.
"It means a lot," he said. "You know, my heart just throbs that we can honor our service people like this and that the city is on board with us."
The trail leads people to the Veterans Grove, where the names of veterans are engraved on markers.
"Berks County is great for veterans," Manzolillo said. "They love their veterans. I mean, they'll go up there and visit."
Navy veteran Charles Thrush said the trail will be permanent. He and Manzolillo said they think Reading is the only Pennsylvania city with a Purple Heart Trail, something they hope other cities will do as well.
"It's really great," Thrush said, "because people have a tendency to forget their veterans."
Organizers said they hope to dedicate the monument and trail on Veterans Day.
"I hope people will get out and visit the monuments and to remember our veterans, remember their veterans that served for them," Thrush said. "They fought for them, they died for them."
