More than 84 names of Needham residents wounded or killed in combat will be read aloud at Memorial Park on Friday, Aug. 7, when the Manson H. Carter VFW Post 2498 holds its annual Purple Heart Ceremony, according to the Needham Observer.

The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. at Memorial Park (corner of Rosemary Street) with the raising of the Purple Heart Standard on the park's flagpole. The standard will remain flying for three days. Each name read corresponds to a recipient listed on the park's Fallen Brave Memorial, with service records stretching back to World War I.

The event falls on National Purple Heart Day, marking the anniversary of Gen. George Washington's 1782 order creating the "Badge of Military Merit" at his headquarters in Newburgh, New York. The decoration is the U.S. military's oldest. It was revived on Feb. 22, 1932, by Gen. Douglas MacArthur on the 200th anniversary of Washington's birth.

The Needham Select Board issued a proclamation on Tuesday, July 21, encouraging residents and local businesses to fly the American flag and recognize the town's Purple Heart recipients. Needham has held the formal designation of Purple Heart Community since 2015.

VFW Post 2498, at 20 Junction St., has served Needham veterans since 1932.

The ceremony is free and open to the public.

No registration is required.