Monday – National Purple Heart Day
August 7 is called variously National Purple Heart Day, Purple Heart Appreciation Day, and Purple Heart Recognition Day.
As you probably already know, the Purple Heart’s lineage dates to the Revolutionary War.
The Purple Heart was first created on August 7, 1782 by the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington. Then known as the Badge of Military Merit, it was awarded to 3 Revolutionary soldiers in 1783.
After the end of the American War of Independence, no medals were awarded until 1932, when the medal was revived on the bicentennial anniversary of George Washington’s birth. According to a circular dated February 22, 1932, Purple Heart Medals were to be awarded to those wounded or killed while serving in the United States Armed Forces as a result of enemy action on or after April 5, 1917. The United States officially joined the First World War on April 6, 1917. timeanddate.com
Now here is a factoid I saw which doesn’t square with anything I have ever heard:
The National Disabled Veterans Foundation says the first service member to receive the modern Purple Heart was General Douglas MacArthur for his service during World War II. In total, there have been 1-point-8 million Purple Hearts awarded over the years. MSN
Think they should say the modern Purple Heart was created by General Order #3, and MacArthur was Chief of Staff at the time.
The Modern Purple Heart award was established by General Order #3, signed by Gen. Douglas MacArthur on February 22, 1932, a date chosen to commemorate the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth. Battlefields.org
No matter what – unlike many service-specific decorations, the purple ribbon with white bars is uniform across all services, as is the dependent medal with George Washington’s profile.
In typical barracks humor, gentle jokes like calling it the “I forgot to duck” award, the “medal that nobody wants” or “enemy marksmanship medal” abound – but honestly, they were all born of gallows humor, and can’t hide the respect we all feel for those who were wounded – or killed – by enemy action. There but for the grace of God…
I “did not get out of the way quick enough” medal.
Never wanted or got the “I forgot to duck medal” myself either, GT. Glad I didn’t. Even gladder that they never had to give one, with my name on it, to my Mama.
The phonies that stand on the bodies and in the blood of Warriors claiming such an Award are the most despicable of all.
I was to fucking slow.
Got real fucking lucky, though. Matter of inches. Still alive.
Changed my life and career, but not like some.
Is what it is. To your last line, yes. Them and fucking POW imposters. A special place in hell for them.
And if I could ever chat w/ the Devil while sober, I would offer to fund his “special” place in Hell for them.
I feel that green thumb. Got me 70%. Here here!
I’m just glad the Republican Guard, or whoever was on top of the Secretariat with a DShK, only qualified Marksman. Chunks of concrete block were getting taken out around us, but my squad fell back intact. To be honest, I was sucking and almost hoped to get shot in the ass by an AK. It was hot, and not getting a chance to expend any of the 1200 rounds of SAW ammo before sprinting 100 meters was disappointing…
Thanks for your service and hopefully everything’s healed. I served under a SFC who became a good friend and was still an 11B but destined for staff work for the remainder of his career after having a calf shot off in Iraq.
To all the Stolen Valor Phony Purple Hearts,
their phony enablers, phony defenders,
and others around these phonies who take no action….
Specifically,
Thomas Cole of Pendleton, Indiana,
his buddies Todd Hulsey and police chief Marc Farrer,
Boy Scout Troop 232,
White River District, and
Crossroads of America Council…..
How do you sleep?
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=118983
The “I zigged when I should have zagged” medal.
“Dinged, not done “
I’m just glad that I was never in a position to have to worry about receiving one.
(there, but for the Grace of God…..)
A Joint Service decoration that no sane person should want, but one which so many phonies lust after. Ranked far too low, being below the Bronze Star and just above the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. In other words, someone can lose their life and receive an award ranked lower than the Distinguished Service Medal virtually guaranteed to a General Officer who’s never seen combat, or the Legion of Merit handed out to foreign dignitaries and nearly every E9 that has a friend in relatively high places.
I’ve known a bunch of recipients, and much like the rest of the awards system, the Purple Heart can be extremely hit or miss (no pun intended) when it comes to those who receive it. I’ve laid 18-year-old Soldiers to rest in Arlington National Cemetery who wore a ribbon rack containing a whopping six ribbons, the highest of which was the Purple Heart. A Soldier who was briefly in my squad in The Old Guard, Joseph M. Hernandez – Corporal, United States Army (arlingtoncemetery.net), earned the award posthumously and became the first lower enlisted Soldier provided with Full Honors, just a couple of months after I reported to recruiting. The Old Guard buries its own (even if not on Primary, the company a former TOG Soldier served in conducts the funeral), and I can only imagine the pain my friends had to contain for the sake of ceremonial composure. Not even a year earlier, I was an Additional Flag Bearer for Christopher M. Hake – Staff Sergeant, United States Army (arlingtoncemetery.net), who’d left Alpha Company just before I reported. Everyone managed to stay composed until we boarded the bus afterward.
Then again, I’ve known some who got a little nick under questionable circumstances, or who claimed to have gotten a TBI, and were awarded the Purple Heart despite having no visible scars and being perfectly functional. Oh, and there’s that Kerry fellow who got three in a few months in the Viet of the Nam…