Chartered by Act of Congress For Combat Wounded Veterans |
The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), begun in 1932 and chartered by Congress
in 1958, is composed of military men and women who received the Purple Heart Medal
for wounds suffered in combat. Although our membership is restricted to the combat
wounded, MOPH provides support to all veterans, has scholarship programs for members
and their families, maintains continuous liaison with members of Congress on key
issues related to veterans, publishes The Purple
Heart Magazine, and hosts a myriad
of activities at the local level by its Chapters throughout the country. MOPH is
proud of its long heritage that began with General Washington giving three of his
soldiers a Badge of Military Merit, a cloth purple heart, during the Revolutionary
War and continues today as we recognize, honor and support all veterans from each
of America’s wars.
There are four seperate parts of the Purple Heart Organization, each of which operates
as an independant entity as described below.
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MOPH Membership is the fraternal arm of the Order and is organized into Regions,
Departments, and Chapters that execute programs across the country.
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This Program provides direct tailored assistance to MOPH members and all other veterans
in matters involving the Veterans Administration (VA). Using a network of National
Service Officers (NSO), usually collocated with a VA facility, the Service Program
is the primary organization that provides MOPH interface with our nation’s veterans.
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The Ladies Auxiliary, with its own membership and administration, works closely with their
local MOPH Chapters in assisting, comforting, and aiding distressed veterans and their families.
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The MOPH Service Foundation has the critical mission of raising funds to support the wide
ranging programs and activities of the Order, particularly the National Service Program and
its liaison activities with Congress. The Foundation, on its own, offers unique training programs
to facilitate veterans’ transitioning from active duty to civilian life. Two fund raising
operations of the Service Foundation are highly visible to the public – the collection of
household items and car donations – sometimes masking its vital role in the overall success of MOPH.
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