VA and the Purple Heart - the nation's oldest military award

On August 7, 1782, General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, created the “Badge of Military Merit” (Badge) to recognize regular soldiers and non-commissioned officers who demonstrated "not only instances of unusual gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way,” during the American Revolution.

On August 7, 1782, General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, created the “Badge of Military Merit,” or Purple Heart, to recognize regular soldiers and non-commissioned officers who demonstrated “not only instances of unusual gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way,” during the American Revolution.

By that summer, the war had been waged for more than 7 years, and the Continental Army had experienced thousands of casualties and losses. Existing records of the time show that General Washington personally awarded the Badge of Military Merit – which he designed in “the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding” – to three non-commissioned officers. It would not be awarded for another 150 years – until the bicentennial of Washington’s birth on February 22, 1932.

On that date, in honor of General Washington’s memory and military achievements, United States (U.S.) Army Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur, announced that World War I Veterans who had been wounded or received a Meritorious Service Citation, were eligible to receive the Badge, renamed “Purple Heart.” General MacArthur, who was instrumental in reviving the nation’s oldest military decoration, oversaw its redesign to the modern Purple Heart known today – a bronze-bordered purple heart-shaped medal bearing Washington’s profile and coat of arms – and received Purple Heart No. 1.

On December 3, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9277, extending applicability of the Purple Heart to all U.S. Military Services, and designating the award for those were wounded, killed or died as a result of wounds received in action, rather than for meritorious service.

Over the years, Congress and the President have continued to authorize changes to the eligibility criteria for award of the Purple Heart, based on medical conditions, conflicts, and other events. These include expanding eligibility to military personnel and government civilians killed or wounded in international terrorist attacks after March 28, 1973; servicemembers killed or wounded in action by friendly fire; and former prisoners of war who were wounded before April 25, 1962. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 limited the award to only servicemembers of the Armed Forces. Most recently, the NDAA for FY 2015 expanded eligibility to servicemembers killed or wounded in attacks against the U.S. by foreign terrorist organizations.

Since 1932, an estimated 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded to servicemembers in the name of the President of the United States.

At a congressional hearing held February 26, 2019, then VA Secretary Robert L. Wilkie announced a change to the VA claims process, stating, “Those who hold the Purple Heart, the recognition of wounds taken in battle, will now receive priority consideration when it comes to claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs.” The VA Veterans Benefits Administration amended its priority processing categories to include initial disability claims received from Purple Heart recipients on or after April 1, 2019.

Purple Heart history quiz

According to Peter Bedrossian, program director of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, in New Windsor, N.Y., the color purple “signified royalty: Purple dye was expensive — the average person couldn’t afford a purple garment — and so purple would signify an elevation of your status above those around you.” (Source: The history behind Purple Heart Day)

President John F. Kennedy, who served in the Navy during World War II, is the only U.S. president with a Purple Heart. He sustained a back injury when a Japanese destroyer collided with his patrol torpedo boat near the Solomon Islands. (Source: 8 Things You Need to Know About the Purple Heart Medal)

Rod Serling (1924-1975) also earned a Bronze Star and the Philippine Liberation Medal, among other military decorations. (Source: 22 Famous People Who Have Been Awarded the Purple Heart)

Ret. Gen. Eric K. Shinseki received his first Purple Heart while serving with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam in September 1966; he received his second Purple Heart medal three years later while in command of Troop A, 3d Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment. He stepped on a landmine and lost part of his foot.

The late Jesse Brown, a Marine Corps Veteran, who died on August 15, 2002, and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery, and Dr. James Peake, who retired from the Army in 2004, as a lieutenant general. (Source: Wikipedia)

Ret. Gen. Colin I. Powell earned a Purple Heart while serving with the 23d Infantry Division in Vietnam. (Source: The Purple Heart – The Story of America’s Oldest Military Decoration and Some Soldier Recipients)

Sen. Tammy Duckworth sustained severe wounds during combat in Iraq when the helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. Despite her wounds, Sen. Duckworth obtained a medical waiver to continue serving in the Illinois Army National Guard, from which she retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2014. (Source: Wikipedia)

Audie L. Murphy (1925-1971). (Source: 22 Famous People Who Have Been Awarded the Purple Heart)

1Lt Annie G. Fox (August 4, 1893 – January 20, 1987). According to her Purple Heart citation, she received the medal, not for having been injured, but for her “outstanding performance of duty and meritorious acts of extraordinary fidelity…” during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The requirements for the Purple Heart were changed after Pearl Harbor. (Source: Women Medal Recipients – Military and Civilian and Wikipedia)

World War II, with an estimate of just over one million Purple Heart medals being awarded to service members. (Source: A Guide to the Most Purple Hearts Awarded in Each Conflict)

Note: This story was first posted on the VA Insider agency internal platform in August 2020.