DFW National Cemetery becomes 1st Purple Heart VA Cemetery in the United States

DALLAS - Purple Heart recipients were honored on Saturday, on the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

The Department of Texas' Military Order of the Purple Heart proclaimed that the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery the first Purple Heart VA Cemetery in the United States.

Veterans in the audience each showed up with their own story. 

"I have three Purple Hearts," Michael Weisheit said.

Weisheit, of Killeen, served two terms in Vietnam.

"I don’t know how to say it. We saw a lot of killing and we did a lot of killing," Vietnam War veteran and Texas State Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Lazaro O. Camarillo III said.

Camarillo added that this moment wasn’t about him. 

"We are here for one reason, to remember them," he said.

Purple Heart recipients and veterans stood side-by-side on a historic day for the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

The 635-acre cemetery is now the first Purple Heart VA Cemetery in the United States.

"I know when I got the call saying we were nominated, I was all sorts of excited," recalled Larry Williams, director of the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

The DFW National Cemetery is the country’s third busiest national cemetery, averaging 22 burials a day. 

It’s home to 75,000 headstones and the cemetery is expanding. 

"It’s our job to take care of the veterans and their families, and that is what we are going to try to do," Williams said. 

"The Purple Heart is the only medal that is given for purely merit, where nobody has a thing to say about it," Weisheit said.

The recognition was scheduled on the 20th anniversary of September 11th terror attacks. 

CONTINUED COVERAGE: Sept. 11 Terror Attacks

"It’s even more special," Weisheit said.

They all shared a special bond of sacrifice for our country. 

"When your country calls you go and you serve, you don’t ask questions," Weisheit added.

"The only reason this is a free country is because of the veterans," Camarillo said. "We are going to keep going forward and to remember them."