The first precedent for honoring servicemen in American history, which involved the awarding of medals, goes back to August 7, 1782. On that day, General of the Armies George Washington, created "The Badge of Military Merit," using cloth pieces of a purple sash he wore across his uniform, cut in the shape of a heart. That was our nation's first military decoration. It was awarded to three Revolutionary soldiers for their actions in capturing the accomplices of General Benedict Arnold, in his attempt to turn over Fort West Point, to the British, during the American Revolution. The records show no others.

The philosophy behind military decorations has always been: since honor is something which no Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman likes to talk about, those who sought to honor these warriors, should give them a token of that honor, which they could wear without words. America's present military decorations system has evolved from this single act by General Washington.

Although never abolished, the "Badge of Military Merit" was not issued again for 150 years. It was renamed the "Purple Heart Medal for Military Merit," commonly known today as, The Purple Heart, on the 200th year of George Washington's birth (22 Feb., 1932), with War Department Order #3. The first Purple Heart was awarded to General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff. War Dept. Order #3 also retroactively awarded the Purple Heart to WWI veterans.

During WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9277 on December 3, 1942, that decreed the Purple Heart would be issued to all branches of the military and differ from all other decorations in that an individual is not "recommended" for the decoration. Rather the individual is "entitled" to it upon meeting the specific criteria of: "wounds received while engaged in combat against an enemy of the United States of America."