![]() ![]() 4, 1942: War Department designates the Purple Heart exclusively for wounds or deaths in combat. 28, 1942: Military allows posthumous award of Purple Heart after heavy loss of life at Pearl Harbor. The Purple Heart is also given to soldiers wounded or killed in battle. The medal is primarily designed to recognize meritorious service. Douglas MacArthur revives the Purple Heart on the bicentennial of Washington’s birthday. Only a handful of soldiers are known to have received it.įeb. 7, 1782: George Washington issues order to create the Badge of Military Merit to recognize meritorious action. This process can take months, even years.īelow, a timeline of the Purple Heart through history.Īug. Beyond that, a soldier can appeal through the Army Human Resources Command, and depending on the time of the injury, different boards may review an appeal before making a final decision. Soldiers who receive a denial must first appeal through their chain of command. Thus, it is not clear how many soldiers have received the Purple Heart for mild traumatic brain injuries, or how many applied but were denied. The exact number of Purple Hearts awarded is not tracked by The Pentagon, nor is the type of injury a soldier has suffered. In general, the wound must have occurred during hostilities and it must have required treatment that was documented by a medical officer. Instead, the military gives it to those troops that meet basic criteria. Unlike other military awards, the Purple Heart is an entitlement - it does not depend upon the recommendation of a superior officer. Today, the military has awarded an estimated 1.7 million Purple Hearts to soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen. The process can differ by branch and by theater of operations. A superior officer can deny a Purple Heart, but such denials usually require review and then concurrence by a General-level officer. For instance, soldiers wounded in acts of terrorism now qualify for the Purple Heart, as do soldiers injured in friendly fire.Īn individual soldier can apply for a Purple Heart, but more commonly, command superiors submit an awards package demonstrating that the soldier has met all criteria for the award. Over time, the military has further modified the award, adding different types of injuries and different types of combat. Later, during World War II, the medal was changed into a recognition of combat injuries and deaths. Purple Hearts were initially awarded to recognized meritorious service, but during World War II, the medal was changed into a recognition of combat injuries and deaths. ![]()
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