Snoop Dogg’s father to receive third purple heart at Veterans Day ceremony in Atlanta

Philipp Plein - Runway - September 2017 - New York Fashion Week: The Shows NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 09: Vernell Varnado walks the runway at the Philipp Plein fashion show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Hammerstein Ballroom on September 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images For NYFW: The Shows) (JP Yim Getty Images North America/JP Yim, Getty Images North America)

By WSBTV

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department honored Vernell Varnado, known as “Poppa Snoop,” in a pre-Veterans Day ceremony at Atlanta City Hall.

Varnado, the biological father of multi-platinum rapper Snoop Dogg, was recognized by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Fire Chief Roderick M. Smith during a veterans recruiting event on Thursday morning.

He was honored for his service in the Vietnam War.

City officials said the event is part of an ongoing Atlanta initiative to recruit and hire veterans, military service members and their families into the city workforce and “supports the city’s broader efforts to connect veterans with job opportunities across various sectors and industries.”

According to AFRD officials, Varnado is set to receive a third purple heart on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.