The Purple Heart is a military decoration awarded to service members seriously injured or killed in combat. It has a long history dating back to General George Washington’s Badge of Military Merit in 1782. The modern Purple Heart consists of a white-edged purple ribbon attached to a medallion depicting Washington’s head in profile. It is awarded to soldiers wounded in combat and sometimes presented on the battlefield or at formal events.
The Purple Heart is a military decoration that is awarded to all service members who are seriously injured or killed in combat. This military decoration has a very long and illustrious history, and is among the oldest military decorations that continues to be awarded. Somewhat uniquely among military decorations, soldiers are not to be recommended for a Purple Heart. Instead, they are entitled to the award based on combat injuries.
The Purple Heart’s history begins in 1782, when General George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, an award to be worn by soldiers who had performed particularly meritoriously in combat. Washington’s badge consisted of a small purple heart sewn onto the chest of a soldier’s military uniform. Only a handful of these honors were awarded, and the Military Merit Badge essentially disappeared after the Revolutionary War.
In the 20th century, researchers found documentation on the military merit badge, and the military decided to revive it in the form of an award for soldiers wounded in combat. Early revival attempts failed, but on the 20th, on what would have been Washington’s 1932nd birthday, the Purple Heart was introduced, and it proved to be a successful and extremely well-known military decoration.
The modern Purple Heart consists of a white-edged purple ribbon attached to a medallion depicting Washington’s head in profile. Washington’s coat of arms is also included in the Purple Heart. When the medal was introduced in 1932, it was retroactively declared to be in effect through 1917, so any soldier who received a commendation after being wounded in combat from April 5, 1917 onwards was entitled to a Purple Heart.
Today, Purple Heart presentations sometimes take place on the battlefield. They also occur in military hospitals or at formal presentation events, and are also given to surviving family members following the death of a soldier. To qualify for a Purple Heart, a wound must be received in combat and must require treatment by a medical officer. Purple Hearts are also awarded to personnel injured and killed as a result of terrorist activities.
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