Murphy – Ninety-one-year-old Oscar Valdes waited five years to see the fruits of his labor come to fruition, and on Jan. 17 about 55 people came out to celebrate the success with him.
Valdes, a U.S. Army veteran, was moved during the unveiling of the park’s new name of which he was instrumental in making happen. The former Konehete Park will now be known as Konehete Veterans Park.
Valdes was born in 1932 in New York City. He joined the Army in 1949 at just 17 years old.
After basic training, Valdes left for Korea where he was wounded. He received the Bronze Star as well as the Purple Heart. Valdes left for a period of time to recover, after which he returned once again to Korea, where he would remain until the end of the war.
Valdes was also part of the Florida National Guard. He has received seven Army Commendation Medals and more than 10 Army Achievement Medals. Valdes has lived in Cherokee County since 1999.
Federal, state and local dignitaries were in attendance for the ceremony, which included state Sen. Kevin Corbin and U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards. American Legion Honor Guard Post 96 in Murphy and State Commander Larry Reid with AMVETS Post 2015 in Murphy opened the ceremony with the Pledge of Allegiance.
The ceremony was spearheaded by Cherokee County Commissioner Jan Griggs and put together by the county commission. It was kept secret from Valdes, as they intended for it to be a surprise for his birthday.
The outpouring of love and support from the community for Valdes took him by surprise.
“I never dreamed this would happen. My wife, Nancy, passed away the day after Thanksgiving. We were married 69 years. This helps me very much,” he said with emotion. “I never dreamed I had so many friends. This is a big honor.”
Edwards thanked Valdes for his service, wished him a happy birthday and presented him with a US flag that had been flown over the nation’s capital.
“It’s an incredible honor to be here with this fine group of folks,” Edwards said. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to be out here to celebrate Oscar’s birthday and the renaming of the park.”
After the ceremony to rename the park, everyone was invited to the Murphy Volunteer Fire Department for birthday cake as well as a brief question-and-answer session with both Corbin and Edwards.
“What a pleasure to be here and recognize Oscar,” Corbin said. “This is great recognition for him as well as all our veterans.”
Cherokee County students will be able to participate in a contest to design a permanent sign, as the current one is only temporary.
Cherokee County is also known as a Purple Heart County.
For details, contact Rick Millett or Danna Pash with the Cherokee County Veterans Service Office at 835-8663.