The Purple Heart
Hampden Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The Purple Heart, originally named the "Badge for Military Merit," was created by George Washington in 1782 in honor of bravery. It became known as the Purple Heart in 1932. Today the Purple Heart honors men and women for wounds suffered in combat [...]
The Story
In the closing years of the Revolutionary War, George Washington sought a way to recognize ordinary soldiers for extraordinary courage — a radical idea in an age when military honors were reserved for officers and aristocrats. The award he devised, a cloth badge in the shape of a heart, lay largely forgotten for a century and a half before it was revived in 1932, the bicentennial of Washington's birth, and reborn as the Purple Heart. What began as a token of merit gradually became the nation's tribute to those wounded or killed in the line of duty.
Why it matters
The Purple Heart is the oldest American military decoration still awarded, embodying a distinctly democratic conviction that valor and sacrifice deserve honor regardless of rank. It links Washington's Continental Army to every generation of Americans who have served since.
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Related people
- · George Washington
Related events
- · Creation of the Badge for Military Merit (1782)
- · Revival as the Purple Heart (1932)
Themes & tags
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