Wreath-Laying Ceremony At NYC Vietnam Veterans Memorial Honors Purple Heart Recipients

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A wreath-laying ceremony at New York City's Vietnam veterans memorial honored Purple Heart recipients.

The ceremony Tuesday was part of a national tribute event called the Purple Heart Patriot Project Mission.

Purple Heart recipients from across the nation gathered in Lower Manhattan to pay respects.

"It's overwhelming ... I'm emotional. Next to the wall, that's tough to look at and read, even after 50-something years, it's very hard," Vietnam War veteran Joe Hill said.

During the ceremony, three new names were also added to the memorial. That brings the total number of New York City residents killed during the Vietnam War to 1,744.

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