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Facts About the Purple Heart

 

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A flag with a white background is shown with a blue stripe. And a purple heart medal.

(Photos courtesy of Adobe Stock and the US Army)

  • The Badge of Military Merit, the predecessor of the Purple Heart, was created by George Washington on August 1782 to “recognize regular soldiers and non-commissioned officers [not commissioned officers] who demonstrated ‘not only instances of unusual gallantry in battle, but also extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way,’ during the American Revolution.”
  • The original award was “the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace or binding.”
  • Only three men have been verified as having received the Badge of Merit: Sgt. Elijah Churchill, 2nd Continental Dragoons; Sgt.William Brown, 5th Connecticut Continental Line Infantry; and Sgt. Daniel Bissel, 2nd Connecticut Continental Line Infantry.
  • The modern Purple Heart was established by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1932 as an award for both combat wounds and meritorious service. Posthumous awards were prohibited until World War II and were awarded only to those killed on or after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
  • In 1942, with the creation of the Legion of Merit, the award became exclusively for those wounded or killed by enemy action.
  • Over 1.9 million Purple Hearts have been awarded. Over 47,500 Purple Hearts were awarded during the Global War on Terrorism.
  • Three soldiers are known to have received ten awards of the Purple Heart: Pvt 1st Class Charles Barger (World War I), Spec. 4 Curry T. Haynes Jr. (Vietnam War), and Lt. Col. William G. White (World War II and the Korean War).
  • August 7 is Purple Heart Day.
A heart-shaped piece of fabric with a word on it.

The Badge of Military Merit issued to Sgt. Elijah Churchill on 1 May 1783, which is on display at the New Windsor Military Cantonment State Historic Site in New York. (Photo courtesy of New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation)

Sources: “Remembrance: Purple Heart Recipients,” National Cemetery Administration, accessed 27 March 2026, https://www.cem.va.gov/VLM/Remembrance/Purple-Heart.asp; “History,” National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, accessed 27 March 2027, https://www.thepurpleheart.com/history/; “History,” National Purple Heart Hall of Honor; Arlington National Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl), “Today is Purple Heart Day - America’s Oldest Military Award …,” Facebook, 7 August 2017, https://www.facebook.com/ArlingtonNatl/posts/today-is-purple-heart-day-americas-oldest-military-awardpresident-george-washing/10156463222373976/; Joshua Williams, “A Guide to the Most Purple Hearts Awarded in Each Conflict,” Medals of America, 20 November 2018, https://www.medalsofamerica.com/blog/a-guide-to-the-most-purple-hearts-awarded-in-each-conflict/.

 

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May-June 2026