Overview
About the event
While the day is a more recent event, the history behind the Purple Heart can be traced back to 1782 when US President George Washington created the Badge of Merit as an honor to be presented to any soldier who made any �??singular meritorious action�?�.
Prior to this time, medals of honor were typically only given to officers who won grand victories in battle.
Though this Badge of Merit fell away from use in the 19th century, it was brought back in 1932, this time in the form of the Purple Heart.
Because he was the original founder of the badge, George Washington�??s profile still graces the medal, wearing a continental army uniform inside an enamel purple heart with a border of bronze. The Purple Heart medal hangs from a purple ribbon made of silk with a white stripe on the edge.
By 1944, on the heels of World War II, the function of these medals changed a bit and now they are typically awarded to those soldiers who were wounded in battle or to the next of kin of those who were killed in battle.
General Douglas MacArthur was the first service member to be awarded the modern version of the Purple Heart in recognition of his service during World War II. Since then, there have been more than 1.8 million of these medals awarded to deserving military personnel.?�
Purple Heart Day was first celebrated in 2014 with the purpose of reflecting on the courage of all of those who have fought for their nation, with the assurance that their bravery will not be forgotten.
