Honor Purple Heart veterans today
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Today is National Purple Heart Day, a day set aside to recognize and honor our military veterans who were killed or mortally wounded and those who were wounded in action and survived.
In the cases of those killed or mortally wounded, the Purple Heart Medal was presented to the next of kin.
The Purple Heart Medal was inspired by the “Badge of Military Merit,” which was created under orders of Gen. George Washington near the end of the Revolutionary War, to recognize the outstanding service of soldiers.
It was purple in color, shaped like a heart and had the word “Merit” embroidered on it.
Washington’s Badge of Military Merit was revived as the Purple Heart Medal on Feb. 22, 1932, the bicentennial of Washington’s birthday, by executive order of the president of the United States.
It was designed by John R. Sinnock, a leading sculptor of the Philadelphia Mint. The medal is purple, shaped like a heart and has Washington’s profile image on it.
The first Purple Heart was awarded to Gen. Douglas MacArthur who was wounded in action several times in World War 1.
Veterans who served in wars prior to World War 1 were allowed to apply for the medal.
At first, the medal was awarded for both wounds and for meritorious service. But when the Legion of Merit was established, it was only awarded for wounds.
Then on Dec. 3, 1942, it was awarded to personnel of all the different military services, not just the Army, who had been killed or wounded in combat.
In 1984, the medal was also authorized for wounds received in terrorist attacks while serving as part of a peacekeeping force prior to March 28, 1973.
There were 320,518 Purple Hearts awarded for World War I killed and wounded; 1,076,245 for World War II; 118,650 for the Korean War; 351,794 for the Vietnam War; 607 for the Persian Gulf War; 7,027 (as of June 5, 2010) for the Afghanistan War; and 35,321 (as of June 5, 2010) for the Iraq War.
Our military veterans who have suffered wounds in combat deserve an extra measure of honor and respect from all grateful Americans.
Mark Sandel, 93, of Ragley was presented his Purple Heart in 1945 while recovering in a Guam hospital from a gunshot wound to the right leg.
