Purple Heart Day | August 7
Mon Aug 7th

Purple Heart Day

On August 7th, Purple Heart Day celebrates the unveiling of the oldest American military decoration for military achievement. The Purple Heart honors the men and women of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is a symbol of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The Badge for Military Merit decorated six known soldiers during the American Revolutionary War.

#purpleheartday

In 1782, General George Washington created the Badge of Merit.. "Any singularly meritorious act" should be given to soldiers by Washington, who wanted the award to be given to them. Its creation featured a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk bonded with a thin strip of silver. The word Merit was embossed in silver across the face. Although the badge represented the courage and sacrifice of an American Patriot, no one knows who created the award, although no one knows who created it.

The Purple Heart persisted as a Revolutionary War footnote until Washington's 200th birthday. The Order of the Purple Heart was born as a result of General Douglas MacArthur's efforts. The medal bears a bust of George Washington and his coat of arms today.

Although National Geographic's current and complete list of names does not exist, it has estimated that nearly 1.9 million service members have earned Purple Hearts since its inception. It is the first U.S. military award bestowed on service members today, and it is the oldest U.S. military award bestowed on service members today. The Purple Heart acknowledged service members' commendable conduct as well as their service members' commendable conduct until 1944. In 1944, then restricted the award to only those who were wounded or killed in combat.

Purple heart firsts

  • Merit's Badge of Military Merit was replaced by the Fidelity Medallion. During the Revolutionary War, William Brown and Elijah Churchill were among the first recipients of the Badge of Military Merit during the Revolutionary War
  • The first modern-day Purple Heart was awarded by Army General Douglas MacArthur '
  • The first woman is given a Purple Heart. During World War II, Army Lt. Annie G. Fox was awarded the Purple Heart for her actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor

How to Observe Purple Heart Day

Everybody who has been given a Purple Heart Day is encouraged to honor those who have been given a Purple Heart. We also learned more about the Purple Heart's Military Order.

Learn more about the heroes who were honoured while honoring the service.

  • Read More About Military Merit: Fred L. Borch's Purple Heart or Patricia McCormick's Purple Heart are recipients of the Purple Heart.
  • Watch a documentary. Watch a video. By Tony Seahorn, we recommend Purple Heart Warriors: Tears of a Warrior
  • Visit a military museum on visit. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor or The National WWII Museum both have in-depth information on the Purple Heart

Sharing your findings is another way to celebrate.. You can also identify someone who has been given a Purple Heart. Express why you think it's important to celebrate Purple Heart Day. When you do, use #PurpleHeartDay to post on social media..

History of the purple heart day has influenced purple heart day

Americans have celebrated Purple Heart Day on both Washington's birthday and Valentine's Day since 1932. At various times throughout the year, several states and cities celebrated the day in their own way at different times throughout the year. With the purchase of a purple viola, each individual was encouraged to help wounded veterans.

No matter when the observance took place, it honored the men and women who were killed and wounded in combat and their brave acts. The Purple Heart's creation, August 7, 1782, was more popular as the day progressed.