With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, let’s take a look at one of the most well-known American military medals: the Purple Heart. This medal dates back to the American Revolution, yet it still remains a high honor to this day.
In 1782, General George Washington issued the order to create the medal—called the Badge of Military Merit—to acknowledge meritorious service of enlisted men, essentially bravery in combat. Only a small handful of soldiers are known to have received the medal. Though the medal was intended to be permanent, history moved on and it was all but forgotten after the Revolution.
It wasn’t until 1932, on the bicentennial of Washington’s birth, that the Purple Heart was revived by General Douglas MacArthur. Though the award was originally designed to commemorate bravery, the Purple Heart came to recognize wounded soldiers during World War II. Later on, the medal criteria were extended to include additional branches of the military and posthumous awards of the Purple Heart.
Presently, it’s estimated that the military has awarded about 1.7 million Purple Hearts to soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen. The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the US president to any member of the US Armed Forces who, while serving in any capacity, has been wounded, killed, or has died as a result of being wounded.
As one of the oldest medals in American military history, the Purple Heart has come to be quite recognizable. A gold-rimmed heart medallion hangs from a purple and white ribbon. Centered in the heart is a purple enamel base with a portrait of Washington. Above his effigy rests his family’s coat of arms in red and white. On the reverse of the medal, “FOR MILITARY MERIT” is inscribed.
While gold in color, the Purple Heart does not actually contain real gold. Rather, it’s made of a gilding metal. The copper alloy is comprised of copper and zinc, technically making it a form of brass.
The value of the metals used in the manufacture of Purple Hearts is not high. Rather, the value of these medals lies in what they stand for. A person awarded with a Purple Heart is recognized as brave, loyal, and a hero of the American people. While several other military medals are made with more valuable types of metals, the Purple Heart has become a symbol of the valiant.
What other treasured items can you think of that hold more symbolic value than monetary value?
Although Purple Heart is not made of gold, it represent the awardee as a combat action hero, that the wearer had survive combat, for it is only awaded to those who survive combat action, that the wound receive is thru the enemy action. That he have faced the enemy in combat and survive. We the Purple Heart recipient have bled so others don’t have to. I am proud to receive and wear my nation’s appreciation and gratitude that this metal symbolize and greatefull that unlike a greate few did not even touched or seen it.
I have a Purple Heart medal with missing ribbon, that is not coated in Gold. It appears to be of silver coloring, with no indication that the gold coating had worn off, faded or peeled away. All other coloring is accurate. The red and white shield and the purple enamel base. But everything metallic, including the Washington bust is silver colored. It has the raised letters on the reverse side “For Military Merit”.
Was there ever a silver colored medal issued, or maybe some uncoated medals (incomplete) accidentally released? Were there ever fakes made?
I have no history of this medal, other than I found it as a child back in the 1970’s in a field in Ohio.
Wounded in combat Semper Fidelis Gunnery Sergeant Velez ret
It’s kinda crazy that the medal is not real gold, yet is presented to those of a brave, selfless character, which is as rare as pure gold I think. Maybe that’s just me.
hooa!