How is purple heart awarded

Joseph Gadek Jr. Posthumous awards were generally given to the next of kin of the deceased or a family member in service. Gift of the Scanlan Family, Many wounded or killed servicemembers did not receive their Purple Heart until after the war. Non-issued medals, or replacement for lost medals, can be requested by a veteran using their service paperwork as proof of the commendation. This is an example of a wartime medal that was repackaged and issued to Sgt.

Harold F. Stewart after World War II. Gift of Kathy Weir, Presentation case for repackaged Purple Heart. Given the requirements of the Purple Heart, there is always a story to be told by the number of medals issued and the number manufactured. By the end of World War II, over 1 million Purple Hearts were presented to men and women wounded or killed by enemy action.

When the United States entered the war, each service branch initiated the process of planning for war. Using experience, statistics, and best guesses, they determined how many troops and supplies were needed to win World War II; sometimes they planned too much, sometimes far too little. For example, the US Army determined that it would need about 9 million servicemen organized in over divisions to defeat Axis powers. In reality, the overall number of troops they needed was very close to the estimate, but they over estimated on the divisions, only needing around 90 to win the war.

Initially, orders for the Purple Heart in were thought to be sufficient to last the war, but the casualties mounted.

Driven by the horrific tolls of the dead and wounded, such as Clifton Duet on Okinawa, the US Navy and Army kept adding to their orders. At first, the Purple Heart was exclusively awarded to Army and Army Air Corps personnel and could not be awarded posthumously to the next of kin.

Also in that year, the Purple Heart was made available for posthumous awarding to any member of the Armed Forces killed on or after December 6, Originally the Purple Heart was awarded for merit. Being wounded was considered to be one type of merit. With the creation of the Legion of Merit in , the award of the Purple Heart for merit became unnecessary and was therefore discontinued.

Currently, the Purple Heart, per regulation is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U. Armed Services after April 5, has been wounded, killed, or has died after being wounded by enemy action.

December 3, Executive Order by President Roosevelt authorizes the Purple Heart for all branches of service and authorizes posthumous awards, back dated to 6 December The Hall estimates that roughly 1. Even inclusion in the Hall is based on information received from recipients or their loved ones. Other things you may not know:. Elijah Churchill, 2nd Continental Dragoons; Sgt. Texas has the Star of Texas Award, given to peace officers, firefighters and emergency first responders who are killed or suffer serious injury in the line of duty.

Iowa has a Law Enforcement Purple Heart Medal for law enforcement officers who have been seriously wounded or killed in the line of duty as a result of a combat incident. Photo Credit: U.

Army Pfc. Charles Barger.