The United States War Department authorizes the new Purple Heart Medal, on February 22, 1932, to honor soldiers wounded or killed in action. The Medal is officially considered the "successor decoration" to the Badge of Military Merit, designed in the form of a purple heart and announced by General George Washington to the Continental Army in 1782, to honor bravery in battle.
It is estimated that over 1.9 million Purple Heart medals have been awarded to U.S. service members since the award was established in 1932. Unfortunately, there is no reported official, complete, or centralized list documenting every recipient. More
