Honor Our Heroes on National Purple Hearts Day
The United States awards the iconic and prestigious Purple Heart medal to all service members who are injured or killed in action against enemy forces. This distinction has been around since 1932, and applies to any branch of the military.
August 7th marks the commemoration of National Purple Hearts Day. It’s a terrific time to reflect even more on those who have put their lively welfare on the line for our country. Let’s review why this is important in our continuous mission of supporting veterans in Florida.
Purple Heart History – Post WWI to the Present
First, let’s go over how the U.S. military awards this important distinction, which has developed and changed a lot over the years.
Congress worked on legislation in the late 1920s to devise a way to honor military members who had suffered death or injury during military combat. This would apply to all those serving since 1917 (following World War I). There have been about two million Purple Heart recipients since the first issuing of the award on Feb. 22, 1932.
By 1942, the United States government extended Purple Heart recognition to include posthumous recipients. Because of that, over 400,000 have received the award posthumously.
Between 1962 and 1998, it was possible for civilians to receive Purple Hearts, provided they met certain criteria, and were under military authority. In 2008, Congress finally recognized those who died in World War II POW camps with Purple Hearts as well. Since 2015, military veterans can also receive the award if they are wounded or killed because of domestic terrorism (certain cases).
How Can We Honor Recipients on National Purple Heart Day?
What are a few ways to honor veterans on National Purple Heart Day?
- Visit veterans who are sick or injured in hospitals.
- Donate to Purple Heart charities (including ours or others).
- Attend local events for honoring veterans.
- Visit veteran memorials and pray for fallen veterans.
- Read more about military history and veteran heroics, especially about those who’ve died in combat and have received other distinctions, like the Medal of Honor.
Finally, you can always reach out to SRQ Vets for other suggestions for how to assist struggling veterans around Sarasota and Bradenton. Any aid for American veterans, however large or small, is all we’re about as a nonprofit group. Contact us anytime to join our cause by calling 941-777-8387.
