The Purple Heart is an American
decoration-the oldest military decoration in the world in present use and the first
American award made available to the common soldier. It was initially created as
the Badge of Military Merit by one of the world's most
famed and best-loved heroes-General
George Washington. General Washington is often pictured as a cold, stern soldier,
a proud aristocrat. Yet we know he showed sympathy and concern for his troops, and
was not too proud to pray humbly on his knees for his beloved country and for the
men who served it, and him, so bravely and loyally. His keen appreciation of the
importance of the common soldier in any campaign impelled him to recognize outstanding
valor and merit by granting a commission or an advance in rank to deserving individuals.
In the summer of 1782 he was ordered by the Continental Congress to cease doing
so-there were no funds to pay the soldiers, much less the officers!
Deprived of his usual means of reward, he must have
searched for a substitute. Shortly after receiving the "stop" order from Congress,
he wrote his memorable General Orders of August 7, 1782, which read in part as follows:
"The General, ever desirous
to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers as well as foster and encourage every
species of military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action
is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his
left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace
or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry but also of extraordinary fidelity
and essential service in any way shall meet with due reward. The name and regiment
of the persons so certified are to be enrolled in a Book of Merit which shall be
kept in the orderly room." The order further states: "Men who have merited this
distinction to be suffered to pass all guards and sentinels which officers are permitted
to do. The order to be retroactive to the earliest stages of the war, and to be
a permanent one." Washington ended his order with: "The road to glory in a patriot
army and a free country is thus open to all."
Lost or misfiled for almost 150 years among the War Department
Records at Washington, D.C., this important paper came to light during the search
for Washington's papers prior to the celebration of his bicentennial in 1932. With
it were the dramatic accounts of three soldiers who received the decoration at Newburgh,
N.Y., at Washington's Headquarters. The Book of Merit has not been found. The U.S.
War Department revived the Purple Heart decoration on February 22, 1932. Miss Elizabeth
Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster General, was
named to redesign the newly revived medal, which became known as the Purple Heart.
Using general specifications provided to her, Ms. Will created the design sketch
for the present medal of the Purple Heart. The Commission of Fine Arts solicited
plaster models from three leading sculptors for the medal, selecting that of John
R. Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint in May 1931. The revived form is of metal, instead
of perishable cloth, made in the shape of a rich purple heart bordered with gold,
with a bust of Washington in the center and the Washington coat-of-arms at the top.
The latter is believed to have been the source of the stars and stripes of the American
Flag.
The PURPLE HEART is awarded to members of the
armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of
the
 enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed
in action or die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a combat decoration.
An organization now known as the "Military Order of the Purple Heart," was
formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual interest of all who have received the
decoration. Composed exclusively of Purple Heart recipients, it is the only veterans
service organization comprised strictly of "combat" veterans.
Funds for welfare, rehabilitation and/or service work carried on by the organization
are derived through the collection of used household items, the operation of Thrift
Stores, through the donation of automobiles and, at the community level, from the
annual distribution of its official flower, the Purple Heart Viola. Violas are assembled
by disabled and needy veterans, many of whom receive little or no compensation from
other sources. Thus your contribution to programs of the Military Order of the Purple
Heart serve a two-fold purpose-they help the veterans who participate in
these endeavors and enable the organization to do many things on behalf of hospitalized
and needy veterans and their families.
Wives, mothers, daughters, step-daughters and adopted daughters of Purple Heart
recipients are eligible to belong to the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Military Order
of the Purple Heart, which also does important work nationally and locally in Veterans'
Hospitals.
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