OT: Today (August 7) is National Purple Heart Day.

[Kibitzer]

America's oldest medal was established in 1782 by General Washington as a means of boosting morale of his Continental Army troops after six years of fighting against the (then) most powerful military force in the world. Adding to the enormous challenges that confronted General Washington was the recent notification he had received from the Continental Congress that funds were not available (in shillings) to pay his gallant but weary troops.

The original award (the only one available then) was a piece of cloth called the "Badge of Military Merit" and was to be awarded for heroism - but only to enlisted men. Astonishingly, best available records indicate that only three Continental Army soldiers were awarded this cloth badge (Elijah Churchill, Daniel Bissell, and William Brown), and all three were sons of Connecticut!

The badge was seemingly forgotten until 1932 (200th anniversary of George Washington's birth). when Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur established the Purple Heart medal for military persons wounded or killed in combat. The medal features George Washington on the front and the words "For Military Merit" on the back.

 

[Gus Mahler]

America's oldest medal was established in 1782 by General Washington as a means of boosting morale of his Continental Army troops after six years of fighting against the (then) most powerful military force in the world. Adding to the enormous challenges that confronted General Washington was the recent notification he had received from the Continental Congress that funds were not available (in shillings) to pay his gallant but weary troops.

The original award (the only one available then) was a piece of cloth called the "Badge of Military Merit" and was to be awarded for heroism - but only to enlisted men. Astonishingly, best available records indicate that only three Continental Army soldiers were awarded this cloth badge (Elijah Churchill, Daniel Bissell, and William Brown), and all three were sons of Connecticut!

The badge was seemingly forgotten until 1932 (200th anniversary of George Washington's birth). when Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur established the Purple Heart medal for military persons wounded or killed in combat. The medal features George Washington on the front and the words "For Military Merit" on the back.

Thanks for the post. I didn't realize the badge was that recent.

 

[winlots]

KIB - thank you for this reminder; this day does not seem to get anywhere near the attention that it merits. A thank you again from my wife and from me to all who have served. Stay proud and stay well.

 

[BroadwayVa]

America's oldest medal was established in 1782 by General Washington as a means of boosting morale of his Continental Army troops after six years of fighting against the (then) most powerful military force in the world. Adding to the enormous challenges that confronted General Washington was the recent notification he had received from the Continental Congress that funds were not available (in shillings) to pay his gallant but weary troops.

The original award (the only one available then) was a piece of cloth called the "Badge of Military Merit" and was to be awarded for heroism - but only to enlisted men. Astonishingly, best available records indicate that only three Continental Army soldiers were awarded this cloth badge (Elijah Churchill, Daniel Bissell, and William Brown), and all three were sons of Connecticut!

The badge was seemingly forgotten until 1932 (200th anniversary of George Washington's birth). when Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur established the Purple Heart medal for military persons wounded or killed in combat. The medal features George Washington on the front and the words "For Military Merit" on the back.

Kibitzer---God bless you for reminding us of this day. I wear my being a Vet in my heart and in my head. The Purple Heart isn't WON in the normal sense of the word. It is EARNED. Many will say they got it by being in the wrong place at the wrong time--any place in combat is the WRONG place. Courage was/is a common virtue of each person who received/receives the Purple Heart. God bless you Kibitzer--your English is impeccable as is your Americanism, thank you!!

 

[PalPa]

My Dad received two Purple Hearts while serving as a Medic in the 3rd Army. He was shot in the leg, then got shrapnel in the back from a mortar round.

 

[BroadwayVa]

My Dad received two Purple Hearts while serving as a Medic in the 3rd Army. He was shot in the leg, then got shrapnel in the back from a mortar round.

Thank your Dad from all of us ---Medics and Corpsmen are the heart and soul of military units.

 

[Kibitzer]

KIB - thank you for this reminder; this day does not seem to get anywhere near the attention that it merits. A thank you again from my wife and from me to all who have served. Stay proud and stay well.

I appreciate your gracious comments, intended of course to our many men and women who have served so faithfully, often gallantly, and who may have occasionally been overlooked by our fellow citizens.

Thank you and thank your wife as well.

 

[Kibitzer]

Please permit a touch of levity and a personal experience.

When I was mobile, I was often invited to speak at local schools. I generally focused on the history of the Purple Heart Medal and the role of three Connecticut soldiers, similar to my OP in this thread. I scrupulously avoided "war stories" or any narrative that could be perceived as glorifying me, or war itself. Despite this practice, a curious middle school student (West Rocks MS) asked: "When you got wounded, what was your immediate reaction?"

hmmm. [pause for thought - realization that about 300 possibly impressionable kids in grade 6-8 are waiting. . . .]

I composed myself, gave it an "Ahem," and replied: "Well, it definitely was not an LOL moment! More like an OMG moment!"

Every kid in the auditorium "got it."

Afterward, I spoke with Principal, Dr. Lynn Moore, who liked my response. I then confided to her (tongue in cheek) that had the audience been comprised of high school students, I might have described my reaction as a WTF moment.