tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5116244842474389507.post6734387740482975471..comments2023-03-21T21:55:49.236-05:00Comments on write away every day: rememberedUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5116244842474389507.post-2475834322362583632010-11-25T10:02:55.479-06:002010-11-25T10:02:55.479-06:00Chuck - thanks for writing. i didn't know all ...Chuck - thanks for writing. i didn't know all of this history around the purple heart. very interesting... and sad.demeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11750466778454023591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5116244842474389507.post-37601177243174930532010-11-24T09:31:52.405-06:002010-11-24T09:31:52.405-06:00"Let it be known that he who wears the Milita..."Let it be known that he who wears the Military Order of the Purple Heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen." are words contained in George Washington's order establishing the Badge of Military Merit in August 1782. The medal looked much the same as it does today, aheart shaped purple cloth with silver edging, to be worn over the left breast. Today, of course, it is a heart shaped medal with a gold border, hanging from a purple ribbon with silver borders which contains a profile of George Washington. The medal fell to disuse after the Revolutionary War. No authorization from Congress was forthcoming, although an attempt to bring up such a bill was made in 1927, and there appeared to be no interest. General Douglas MacArthur named Elizabeth Will, an heraldic specialist, to redesign the medal in 1931, which was then named The Purple Heart, It came back into official usage on February 22, 1932, the two hundreth anniversary of Washington's birth, and provisions were made for all servicemen who would have been eligible in the period from the 1779 through the end of the First World War to receive the medal. General MacArthur wore the first one, for wounds received previously. Because of changes in criteria - including eliminating the calling it a medal of merit, i.e., for heroic action as well as simply being wounded, a not uncommon phenomenon in war - and the incidence of battlefield awards, and the non-centralization of the award information, there are no clear numbers for how many Purple Hearts were presented during World War II, however the number of of fatal and non-fatal injuries is approximately 964,000 for the period December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1946. The Korean War figures are 33,000 fatal, 103,200 non-fatal. The Vietnam operations, which include Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, the USS Pueblo, the Dominican Republic and Cuba account for around 200,700 Purple Hearts being awarded. Like most military medals the Purple Heart is usually worn as an abbreviated ribbon, a reproduction of the ribbon the medal hangs from, on the dress uniform. There is one exception to this protocol; the Medal of Honor, also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor, is a "neck order" award, which means the only form it takes is as a ribbon which holds the medal encircling the neck, and it is never worn as simply a ribbon on the chest.Chuck Gallehttp://chuckgalle.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5116244842474389507.post-27781170714160009632010-11-22T23:36:48.752-06:002010-11-22T23:36:48.752-06:00Linda - thank you, as always, for your kind words ...Linda - thank you, as always, for your kind words :)<br /><br />FilmGuy - thank *you*, as always, for putting a whole different spin on the photo. and for writing with me!demeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11750466778454023591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5116244842474389507.post-21520037649958869032010-11-22T20:46:09.449-06:002010-11-22T20:46:09.449-06:00The choice of a superhero costume is a serious bus...The choice of a superhero costume is a serious business. The design. The color. The impact it will have on villains. Perhaps going with purple was a bit impetuous. Stand back...it's PlumMan! Or... beware... It is the Grape of Wrath!! Well, I guess it is all in the timing. That and the fact that I like plants and well... sometimes I sit outside in my garden and think. And nap. Just a little. so, purple it is! i just need the proper name. The Bleeding Heart. Beetz! Or perhaps, Purple Hazer!! Purple Rain on Yo Head!!! Violence!!!! Chuckle.FilmGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09374765133223959198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5116244842474389507.post-27222661891507103632010-11-22T08:02:28.743-06:002010-11-22T08:02:28.743-06:00So moving. Good job with this one. :)So moving. Good job with this one. :)Linda G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04576828490765434497noreply@blogger.com