SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — Chances are strong you know somebody who was awarded the Purple Heart, but you may have never known they received it. The Military Order of the Purple Heart is attempting to raise awareness of the decoration which is awarded to those wounded or killed in combat.
The organization’s Chapter 372 will dedicate a monument at the Summersville National Guard Armory Saturday afternoon.
“That’s one of their goals is to make people more aware of the significance of the Purple Heart Medal,” said Lieutenant Colonel Melissa Shade of the West Virginia National Guard.
The medal was originally created by George Washington as a badge of merit for members of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The award signified a meritorious contribution to the cause during the war and was a piece of purple cloth sewn on the left breast pocket of a soldier’s uniform. It allowed the soldiers to pass a sentry without being checked, the same as an officer.
After the Revolutionary War, the award disappeared until 1918 when General John Jr. Pershing suggested a need for an award of merit during World War I. It wasn’t until 1932 the Purple Heart medal we know today was created. It was revived to honor Washington’s contributions to the nation’s military and was a badge of merit.
The award underwent a significant change in 1942. The creation of the National Legion of Merit badge eliminated the need for the merit award. It became an award exclusively to the Army and Air Corps members wounded in combat. That same year, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order which made the Purple Heart available to sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel. The award was also extended to the families of those killed in action retroactive to Dec. 7, 1941.
The designation of the award today is as follows: “The Purple Heart, per regulation is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917 has been wounded, killed, or has died after being wounded.”
Thousands of West Virginians have received the Purple Heart. The monument in Summersville will be another tribute to their sacrifice and will be one of more than 450 nationwide which make up the Purple Heart Trail.
Major General James Hoyer Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard and Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams will be on hand for the dedication ceremony in Summersville Saturday afternoon.