Today is Purple Heart day, a time when we should take time to think about how lucky we are that people are willing to step in harm’s way for us. Why it is a holiday today. Good question. That’s because on Aug. 7, 1782, Gen. George Washington authorized the medal for military merit. it has thus morphed into the medal that we all know which is given to those who have been injured due to action with the enemy. This is from my earlier blog post:
On this day in 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the face in silver. The badge was to be presented to soldiers for “any singularly meritorious action” and permitted its wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge. The honoree’s name and regiment were also to be inscribed in a “Book of Merit.”
What is amazing about the Purple Heart is that it’s very subtle. It’s not flashy or ornate, but it has a ton of meaning and demands respect. Locally, there are dozens of recipients. And for those who fake being in the service, the Purple Heart is the one everyone wants. Well, besides the Medal of Honor and being a Navy SEAL.
I know many who have been injured. Some are members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, whose Web site can be found here. And there is a local chapter.
An interesting side note. More than 500,000 medals were made during World War II, mostly near the end of the war in anticipation of the invasion of Japan which never happened due to the Atomic Bomb. As such, many of the medals given now are WWII-vintage. According to Wikipedia (I know, not best), there were more than 100,000 left for the veterans of the GWOT
On this day in 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the face in silver. The badge was to be presented to soldiers for “any singularly meritorious action” and permitted its wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge. The honoree’s name and regiment were also to be inscribed in a “Book of Merit.”
What is amazing about the Purple Heart is that it’s very subtle. It’s not flashy or ornate, but it has a ton of meaning and demands respect. Locally, there are dozens of recipients. And for those who fake being in the service, the Purple Heart is the one everyone wants. Well, besides the Medal of Honor and being a Navy SEAL.
I know many who have been injured. Some are members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, whose Web site can be found here. And there is a local chapter.
An interesting side note. More than 500,000 medals were made during World War II, mostly near the end of the war in anticipation of the invasion of Japan which never happened due to the Atomic Bomb. As such, many of the medals given now are WWII-vintage. According to Wikipedia (I know, not best), there were more than 100,000 left for the veterans of the GWOT
