Purple Heart Day
FOR THOSE WHO EARNED THE MEDALS.
Purple Heart patch for those wounded in WWII
On this date in 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged in silver, with the word Merit etched. It was to be presented for any one meritorious action and it permitted the wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge. The honoree’s name and regiment were to be inscribed in “The Book of Merit.”
Purple Heart certificate given during the Korean War
Only three soldiers are known to have been awarded this medal during the Revolutionary War: Elijah Churchill, William Brown and Daniel Bissell Jr. The Book of Merit was lost and the medal was virtually forgotten. In 1927, General Charles Summerall sent an unsuccessful draft bill to Congress to revive the Badge.
Patch for Afghanistan
General Douglas MacArthur took up the cause…
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Posted on August 7, 2015, in Korean War, Vietnam, WWII and tagged 1940's, family history, History, Iraq, Korea, Military, Purple Heart, Tibute, Vietnam, WWI, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 24 Comments.
Pacific Paratrooper 
What a lovely post, reflecting on those who sacrificed so much, for our country. Thank you.
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And I thank you for coming to visit.
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I wasn’t aware of the history of the Purple Heart. Thanks for enlightening me to this important piece of military history.
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My pleasure, Sheri – I’m happy to give you info on anything you require. You are always so helpful and enlightening for me.
PS. you older email about the mail-in pharmacy certainly came in handy in making our decision!! Thanks again!!
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GP – I beat myself up a bit for not knowing the history of the Purple Heart. After all, my 1st husband and 2 brothers all gave their lives in Vietnam and when the Purple Hearts were delivered . . . and I was so young and angry . . . I felt it was far to little too late. I’d already been to far too many military funerals from all branches of the military. My husband and brothers were all pilots and all were shot down within 4 days of each other. Those were tough times.
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I remember all too well, Sheri! Don’t beat yourself up about anything – you have too heavy a load to carry as it is.
Have I had your family members in the Farewell Salutes? I’m afraid I don’t recall.
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You know, I don’t recall either. Do you have an easy search by last name and the conflict?
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This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing this with us.
My oldest brother served in Vietnam.
HUGS, Carolyn 🙂
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So glad to hear from you. We used to follow each other before you went private. Thank your brother for me, a hearty handshake!
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I will! 🙂
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Wow! What an interesting start to the purple heart! I had no idea. I have been reading “The Story of a Decade – The 1940s” which is a compilation of news articles from the New Yorker during the 1940s. It is so interesting to read about the war from the perspective of the time. There were so many astounding acts of heroism that definitely deserve to be honored. Thank you for sharing!
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My pleasure, Claire. Is that a book you mentioned? Sounds like something I’d like to read.
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Yes it is a book. Its titled, “The 40’s: The Story of a Decade”, and it is an anthology published by The New Yorker. It is edited by Henry Finder with Giles Harvey. It is definitely worth checking out!
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Thank you for your reply – I will be checking it out.
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My dad was awarded a Purple Heart, in taking “some hill” (as he called it) in Luzon on 26 March 1944. The original was lost in a fire, but I requested a replacement and happily, they complied It’s with my brother now, an 82nd Airborne disabled Vet (Vietnam).
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You have a proud family history, Bree! Luzon and Nam were no places for any human during their tours. Do you happen to know your father’s unit?
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Thanks for the reminder.
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Anytime, Jacqui.
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Fascinating history.
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Thank you, I’m grateful for your visit.
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The Germans had a ‘wound stripe’, and something similar was used by the British, but stopped after WW2. Here are some details.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wound_stripe
I think it is good to honour those hurt in battle, although unfortunately, ‘purple hearts’ became the name of a certain kind of tablet drug during the 1960s.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you for the ETO info, Pete. You go out of your way all the time for me and I appreciate it.
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Thank you.
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