Purple Heart Anniversary August 7 marks the 232nd anniversary of America’s first military medal—the Badge of Military Merit—which was authorized by General George Washington, along with ribbons of distinction, during the Revolutionary War on August 7, 1782. Today that medal is known as the Purple Heart. According to Washington’s original order: • “Noncommissioned officers and soldiers of the army who have served more than 3 years with bravery, fidelity, and good conduct” would wear a “piece of white cloth of an angular form to be fixed on the left arm on the uniform coat.” • Those who “served with equal reputation [for] more than 6 years” were to be “distinguished by two pieces of cloth parallel to each other in a similar form.” • “The General, ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry, but also of extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way shall meet with a due reward. Before this favor can be conferred on any man, the particular fact, or facts, on which it is grounded must be set forth to the Commander in chief accompanied with certificates from the Commanding officers of the regiment. . . or other incontestable proofs, and upon granting it, the name and regiment of the person so certified are to be enrolled in the book of merit.” This was known as the Badge of Military Merit and only three sergeants from Connecticut are known to have received it at that time. The Badge of Military Merit was never abolished, but fell out of use until the Civil War when a new form of recognition for valor in war was authorized in December 1861: the Medal of Honor. The Badge of Military Merit was brought back into use and changed in the early 20th century. In 1932, nearly 150 years after Washington’s original order was written, President Herbert Hoover and Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur, reinstituted the Badge of Military Merit to honor the bicentennial anniversary of Washington’s birth. Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Quartermaster General’s office, was selected to redesign the revived medal which was renamed at that time as the Purple Heart. Her design included a profile of George Washington to honor the medal’s creator. New criteria for issuing the Purple Heart was announced in a War Department circular on February 22, 1932, the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birthday, which extended the award to soldiers with meritorious service and those who were wounded or died from wounds inflicted during their service as well. In 1942 the Legion of Merit, a new military award for exceptional meritorious conduct was established, so the meritorious component of the Purple Heart’s criteria was removed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order No. 9277, issued on December 3, 1942, extended the Purple Heart to all military services, not just Army, and certain civilians. Since World War II, Purple Heart criteria has been updated to reflect the times and now includes those injured in terrorist attacks, peacekeeping forces, former prisoners of war wounded before April 25, 1962, those wounded as a result of friendly fire, or traumatic brain injuries. In 1997 President Clinton limited Purple Heart awards exclusively to military personnel. In order to qualify for a Purple Heart, a servicemembers’ wound must have been treated, not merely examined, by a military medical officer or other medical professional and noted in their service record. Purple Hearts may be awarded multiple times for separate incidents. To-date, Marine Sgt. Albert L. Ireland holds the record for the most Purple Hearts awarded to one individual: he received a total of nine (9) - five during World War II (Guadalcanal and Okinawa) and four more in the Korean War. With his last injuries in Korea, he wanted to continue fighting, but the Marine Corps would not allow it. He spent the following year receiving care in a VA hospital, most likely the Montrose facility located near to his home in Cold Spring. He died in 1997 and is buried in Cold Spring Cemetery, NY. Typically the Purple Heart is given for the first incident, with oak leaf clusters or service stars added for additional occurrences. Nearly two million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. President John F. Kennedy is the only U.S. president to receive a Purple Heart; he was injured during World War II when his motor torpedo boat, PT 109, was hit by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri on the night of August 1, 1943. At least five presidents including James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Franklin Pierce, and Rutherford B. Hayes, were injured in earlier wars, but the medal was not given at those times. 1st Lt. Annie H. Fox, an Army nurse, was the first woman to receive the Purple Heart for actions at Hickam Field during the invasion of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Among “famous” Purple Heart recipients are actors James Arness, known for playing Marshal Matt Dillon on the television series Gunsmoke, James Garner, known for his roles in Maverick and Rockford Files, Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and author Ron Kovic whose movie “Born on the Fourth of July” recounted his experiences as a Vietnam War veteran . VA Secretaries Eric K. Shinseki and Jesse Brown were Purple Heart recipients, as was Acting Secretary/Deputy Secretary Hershel Gober.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 10:31:47 +0000
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