The Purple Heart is awarded to any US Armed Forces member who is wounded, taken prisoner of war, or killed—or who dies as a result of wounds received— in any action against the enemy, in any terrorist attack, or in military operations that are part of a peacekeeping force outside of the United States. The qualifying wound received must have been significant enough to require treatment by a medical officer.

The Purple Heart is the oldest continuing symbol and award given to members of the US military. Revolutionary War General George Washington presented the first Purple Hearts, called “Badges of Military Merit,” in 1782. The Purple Heart was not again awarded until 1932 when a Presidential Order revived it on the 200th Anniversary of George Washington’s birth. Soldiers who had received the Meritorious Service Citation Certificates in World War I were then eligible to receive the heart-shaped purple medallion.

From Dec. 7, 1941, to Sept. 22, 1943, the Purple Heart was awarded both for wounds received in action against the enemy and for meritorious performance of duty. With the establishment of the Legion of Merit to honor meritorious service in 1942, Purple Hearts were thereafter awarded only to those wounded, imprisoned, or killed in action against the enemy. Recipients included the first woman Purple Heart recipient, 1LT Annie G. Fox, a nurse who cared valiantly for the hundreds of wounded and dying surrounding her during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. To date, an estimated 400,000 Purple Hearts have been awarded to US soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

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Purple Heart

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