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Chairman Barry B. Anthony, General Anthony C. Zinni, Mayor Paul Fraim and Military Order of the Purple Heart members. |
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Chairman Barry B. Anthony, General Anthony C. Zinni, Mayor Paul Fraim and Military Order of the Purple Heart members. |
An invisible bond has always existed between General of the Army Douglas MacArthur and George Washington because of both men’s association with the military decoration known today as the Purple Heart. Through the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a more tangible connection now links the two men, with the dedication of a monument February 22, 2003, at the MacArthur Memorial honoring Gen. MacArthur. This monument marks the eastern terminus of the Purple Heart Trail, which connects Washington’s home and final resting place at Mount Vernon in northern Virginia with MacArthur’s final resting place in Norfolk.
The day of the dedication marked the 271st anniversary of George Washington’s birth and the 71st anniversary of the revival of the Purple Heart as a military decoration by Gen. MacArthur.
The monument, similar to one erected at Mount Vernon in 1998, is made from Georgia "southern blue-gray" granite and was constructed by Hill & Wood Memorials of Hampton, VA. It bears a bronze plaque with the Purple Heart insignia at center, flanked by inscriptions recognizing Gen. MacArthur’s role in establishing the decoration.
General Anthony C. Zinni, U.S.M.C., (Ret.), spoke of the sacrifices made by those in our armed forces. Gen. Zinni, himself a Purple Heart recipient, joined the Marine Corps in 1961 and was commissioned in 1965 upon graduating from Villanova University. He has served in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Pacific, Europe and Korea as well as two tours of duty in Vietnam. In his remarks, Gen. Zinni identified what he termed the "five F’s" worth fighting for: family, friends, faith, freedom and flag. It is these same motivating factors that sustain our military today.
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Keynote speaker, General Anthony C. Zinni |
The Purple Heart Trail was established in 1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart to establish a symbolic trail throughout all 50 states to commemorate the more than 1.6 million recipients of the decoration, all of whom shed blood in combat while serving in the United States armed forces. The idea for the trail originated with the George Washington Chapter 1732 located in the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania region of Virginia, near Washington’s one-time home at Ferry Farm on the Rappahannock River. The Virginia section of the Purple Heart trail currently includes Interstates 95, 64 and 264 from Mount Vernon to Norfolk.
The roots of the Purple Heart can be traced back to the American Revolution. In August 1782, almost a year after his victory over the British at Yorktown, Washington and his army were encamped at Newburgh, New York, a few miles upstream from West Point. On August 7 Washington authorized the wearing of the Badge of Military Merit, a heart-shaped piece of purple silk, to denote valor in combat: "The General, ever desirous to cherish a virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of military merit, directs that whenever singular 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, of silk, edged with narrow lace or binding…The road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus opened to all." The first recipients of this decoration were sergeants from Connecticut: Daniel Brown, Elijah Churchill and Daniel Bissel.
Details are sketchy at best about the actual design of the original decoration. It is rumored that Pierre Charles L’Enfant, an engineer on Washington’s staff and later designer of the U.S. Capitol, designed this award. It has been speculated that the color purple was selected because it was, at the time, considered a royal color, at least in heraldry.
Following the Revolution, the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse and was all but forgotten. That is until after World War I. Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur knew that there had been a movement by his predecessor, Gen. Charles P. Summerall to revive the Badge of Military Merit in 1927. In the end, however, nothing came of the proposal. With the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth rapidly approaching, MacArthur decided to use the Badge of Military Merit as the basis for a new decoration. This new medal, designated the "Purple Heart" by MacArthur was established in General Orders No. 3 dated February 22, 1932, the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth: "Purple Heart – By order of the President of the United States, the Purple Heart, established by General George Washington at Newburgh, N.Y., August 7, 1782, during the War of Revolution, is hereby revived out of respect of his memory and military achievements."
The new medal is a bronze heart with large purple enamel (now plastic) field with a bust of Washington at center, with Washington’s coat of arms and two sprays of leaves above. The inscription "For Military Merit" is on the reverse side and it hangs from a purple and white ribbon.
This medal is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all U.S. military decorations. It is also one of the most readily recognized of U.S. medals.
The Purple Heart was originally intended to be awarded to WWI veterans wounded in combat and also as a replacement for Meritorious Service Citation Certificates. During WWII President Franklin Roosevelt issued orders extending the award of the Purple Heart to the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, retroactive to the beginning of WWII. This was later amended by President Harry Truman to date to April 1917 to include all WWI veterans. Subsequent Presidents have made revisions to the award.
Gen. MacArthur said of the Purple Heart in December 1943: "This decoration is unique…it is the only decoration which is completely intrinsic in that it does not depend upon approval or favor by anyone. Enemy action alone determines it. It is a true badge of courage and every breast that wears it can beat with pride."
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim said "As both Virginians, one by birth and one by choice, Washington and MacArthur recognized that the sacrifices of Americans in service to their country deserve a unique and distinctive badge of honor."
Dating back to 1782, to include the original Badge of Military Merit as well as the Purple Heart, approximately 1,635,000 decorations have been awarded. An estimated 250,000 WWI veterans were eligible for the Purple Heart; almost 1 million recipients of the medal in WWII; 137,000 decorations for Korean service; and more than 200,000 decorations awarded as a result of the Vietnam War.
An estimated 500,000 Purple Heart recipients are alive today, many of whom are members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, an organization comprised solely of recipients of this decoration. This organization had its beginnings shortly after Gen. MacArthur revived the award with a group of combat-wounded veterans in Ansonia, Connecticut. It was not until 1958, however, that the Military Order of the Purple Heart was chartered by Congress. The organization has 450 chapters in 44 departments throughout the U.S. and has its national headquarters in Springfield, VA.
MacArthur himself was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster (denoting a second award of the decoration) for wounds received in France during WWI. His application states, "On October 12, [1918,] I was gassed while engaged in reconnaissance of the German positions near the Cote de Chatillon. My injuries were acute, resulting in partial paralysis due to arsenic poisoning and I was given emergency treatment by the Surgeon of the 167th Infantry. I was under medical treatment thereafter for over a month under the care and attention of the Brigade Surgeon, Major Bunch, 168th Infantry. I was authorized …to wear a wound chevron…" His Purple Heart (on display in the Memorial with his other decorations) bears Serial No. 1 and shows evidence of damage believed to have been caused by fire resulting from the battle which destroyed his former residence in the Manila Hotel during WWII.
MacArthur always held Purple Heart recipients in the highest esteem. He was invited several times to address various chapters of the M.O.P.H., though his duties in the Pacific and at home prevented a personal appearance. In an invitation to address the 1951 National Convention of the M.O.P.H., John Goodin, National Commander, wrote MacArthur, "You are considered the ‘foster father’ of the organization, and its many members would appreciate a visit from you." In reply to an earlier invitation in 1948, MacArthur replied: "holders of the Purple Heart have exemplified in battle the great and lasting traditions of service to country of which Washington himself set the standard – a standard which successive generations of Americans have sought to emulate. For Washington displayed complete mastery of the art of war when war was unavoidable, and, once hostilities were brought to a successful conclusion, wise and farsighted leadership in designing a national framework dedicated to liberty, tolerance and justice, in the understanding and firm application of which…lies [the] only hope for enduring peace."
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