Posted on 08/07/2014 4:23:37 AM PDT by Master Zinja
The Badge of Military Merit, which would eventually become the Purple Heart, was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782 and awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers. It was not awarded again until after World War I and, having not been formally abolished, is the oldest military award still given in the United States.
The Purple Heart Medal qualifications are sometimes abused by non-deserving people. Among the members of my unit, it usually meant you had a fairly grievous wound. So it was reserved for those who deserved it. If you got superficial cuts and abrasions, it would be embarrassing to be put in for a purple heart. I once came out of a firefight with a hole in my boot and an inch long cut across my ankle, iodine and a bandaid was sufficient. I do not have a purple heart.
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