History of the Purple Heart Award

History of the Purple Heart Award. . , The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration currently used in the world and was the first U.S. decoration to acknowledge the personal suffering of the common soldier. Initially General George Washington established the Purple Heart during the American Revolutionary War as a Badge of Military Merit., On August 7, 1782, his general orders read: , "... The General, ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace or binding.", Names of the recipients were to be kept in a "Book of Merit" which, unfortunately, is lost. The award was to be permanent, but was forgotten after the conclusion of the Revolution., General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing during World War I suggested a need for an award for merit but it was not until 1932 that the modern Purple Heart was created and restored. Work on the medal had begun the year before. Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster General, who, using general specifications provided, created the design sketch for the modern medal., Officially revived on February 21, 1932, the date chosen because it was the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth, it was exclusively awarded to Army and Army Air Corps personnel. In addition, the Medal could not be awarded posthumously to the next of kin. Soldiers who had already received a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate, Army Wound Ribbon, or who were authorized to wear Wound Chevrons after April 3, 1917, the day before the United States entered World War I, upon their request, could be awarded a Purple Heart. General Douglas MacArthur was the first recipient., Some U.S. Army wounded from prior conflicts, veterans of the Civil War, the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine Insurrection, could apply for a Purple Heart. They had to be alive at the time of the application and had to prove a wound that necessitated treatment by a medical officer. Until the beginning of World War II, a soldier received the Purple Heart for either wounds gotten in action against the enemy and/or for the meritorious performance of duty. In 1942, with the establishment of the Legion of Merit, the practice of awarding the Purple Heart for meritorious duty was discontinued and became solely for wounds received in combat. In the same year, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order allowing the Navy to bestow the Purple Heart to Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel. It was also available for posthumous awarding to any member of the Armed forces killed on or after December 6, 1941. Posthumous awards of the Purple Heart was approved on April 25, 1962. As of February 23, 1984, Service members could receive the Purple Heart due to terrorist attacks or while serving as part of a peacekeeping force subsequent to March 28, 1973. The following year, the award was authorized for wounds received from the result of friendly fire and included former prisoners of war wounded after April 25, 1962., The Purple Heart is different from other military decorations: an individual is not recommended for it, rather, they are entitled to it. When first wounded, a service member receives a Purple Heart; for each subsequent injury, an oak leaf cluster or a 5/16 inch star is worn in lieu of another Purple Heart. It is not awarded for non-combat injuries. Non-military personnel serving with or closely affiliated with the armed forces, such as government employees, war correspondents and Red Cross workers, were eligible to receive the Purple Heart from 1942 to 1997. Generally, animals are ineligible; however, there have been rare instances when animals holding military rank were honored with the award., Today, the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President to members of the United States Armed Forces who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy, or posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a combat decoration. Celebrated on each August 7, National Purple Heart Day presents Americans with an opportunity to thank and salute the nearly two million brave men and women for their service and sacrifice, who fought for the nation's freedom, and bear the physical scars of war., Frank Joseph Gaffney , Pvt. 108th US Infantry, 27th Division, A Lockport native, Frank Gaffney enlisted in the US Army at age 33 at Niagara Falls, NY. The 27th Infantry Brigade was called into federal service on July 15, 1917 and, by late August, was stationed at Camp Wadsworth, near Spartanburg, SC for intensive training. In May, 1918, the unit departed for France. The great Somme "push" from September 24th to October 1st, saw the Division fighting along the St. Quentin Canal Tunnel, one of the outlying strong points of the impregnable Hindenburg line. , On September 29th, near Ronssoy, France, Private Gaffney, an automatic rifleman, pushed forward alone after other members of his squad had been killed or wounded. He discovered some of the enemy setting up a heavy machine gun position. Placing his gun on the parapet, he opened fire, killed the crew, captured the gun, bombed several dugouts in the trenches and killed four of the enemy with his pistol. He then held the position until reinforcements came up and helped with the 80 prisoners Gaffney had captured. A few weeks later, outside St. Souplet, Frank Gaffney was wounded, which resulted in the amputation of his left arm., Upon returning home, he married Miss Marie Georgen of Buffalo in May 1920. They lived in Niagara Falls where he was employed by the International Paper Company as a chemist. On May 25, 1948, aged 62, he fell from a second floor porch, fractured his skull and died. Mr. Gaffney is buried in the United German-French Roman Catholic Cemetery in Buffalo, NY., For his actions during the battle at the St. Quentin Canal, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Frank Gaffney's other decorations included the Purple Heart, the City of Lockport medal, the Victory Medal, the Medaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre of France, the Distinguished Conduct Medal of England, the Cruz de Guerra of Portugal, the Montenegro Medal of Honor and the Italian Cross of Military Valor., Frank Gaffney's Medal of Honor Citation, "Pfc. Gaffney, an automatic rifleman, pushing forward alone, after all the other members of his squad had been killed, discovered several Germans placing a heavy machinegun in position. He killed the crew, captured the gun, bombed several dugouts, and, after killing 4 more of the enemy with his pistol, held the position until reinforcements came up, when 80 prisoners were captured.", Major General John F. O'Ryan, commanding officer of the 27th division, said: "No man has performed more daring exploits or exercised a bigger influence upon those around him by the gallantry of his conduct.", (Captions):, Purple Heart Medal awarded to Pvt. Frank J. Gaffney, "Frank and the Boys" , Unknown date and location , Photo courtesy of the Gaffney Family, Frank Joseph Gaffney , Pvt. 108th US Infantry, 27th Division