How many purple hearts awarded in vietnam

The Hall of Honor offers educational programs for schools, camps, and Scout groups as well as organized tours for adult groups. In addition, there are events and activities throughout the year that commemorate significant anniversaries or historic events related to the Purple Heart and its history.

Search our Roll of Honor database of Purple Heart recipients. If you do not find who you are looking for, please note our list is incomplete. Enrollment is voluntary. We rely on family, friends and recipients to share their stories with us. Search Now. Wonderful an excellent tribute to our heroes. Sergeant Cari Gasiewicz was an Arab language linguist serving in a military intelligence unit.

Her language and cultural skills made her respected by the Iraqis and her dedication as a soldier garnered her respect from her peers. We are also looking for photographs, telegrams, letters home, news articles or other materials that help to tell the story of each enrolled Purple Heart recipient.

Please complete the enrollment form and return it to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor with proper documentation. To obtain a copy of the necessary documentation, please contact the National Personnel Records Center. If you are not a veteran or the next of kin, you must complete the Standard Form SF As there was not a consistent record kept since the award was established in , we can only estimate the total number which have been awarded.

At this time, it estimated that there may have been 1. The award was first retroactive to those who received "wound chevrons" and "certificates of merit" during World War I as well as to those from earlier wars who chose to apply for the award.

From recipients had to be living veterans or military personnel. The earliest conflict for which there are known recipients is the American Civil War. From on it was limited to service men and women wounded or killed by enemy action on or after 5 April Records were sometimes lost during wartime when headquarters were overrun and unfortunately many Army and Army Air Force records were lost during a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in We do not have the names of all the recipients as there is no comprehensive list of Purple Heart recipients in existence.

Purple Heart in presentation box given to Pfc Clifton A. Gift in Memory of Clifton Duet. Close up of Purple Heart received by Clifton Duet. The Purple Heart is the oldest active military award in the United States and, like the country it represents, has gone through many changes. At that time, and for many decades afterwards, there were very few awards that common soldiers could receive in service of their country.

Most awards, decorations, and medals were given to great commanders, aristocrats, or kings. Recognizing that the Continental Army was fighting a tough campaign, supplies were scarce, and pay was low, Washington felt a need to encourage his troops by establishing an award for valor and meritorious service. This established a precedent within awards systems for valor, defined as heroic actions in combat, and merit, which is proper performance of military duties not related to combat.

Washington presented the Badge of Military Merit, which consisted of a cloth purple heart to be worn over the left breast, to three sergeants in his army. Despite this great start, the Badge of Military Merit was soon forgotten for years. In all that time only the original three were known to have been issued.

It was not until World War I that an organized hierarchy of valor and merit medals began to take shape. At that point, the only American award that could be earned by soldiers and officers was the Medal of Honor. Other Allied and Axis nations had a number of medals that recognized different levels of valor and merit, which caused a general push for additional awards within the US Army.

MacArthur issued General Order No. In all conflicts before World War I, the only indication that a servicemember had been injured in action was the bandage placed over the wound. During World War I, a wound medal and ribbon were instituted, but were quickly replaced by wound chevrons. These chevrons were sewn on the lower right sleeve of a uniform, one chevron per wound.

Hooper would serve a second tour in Vietnam from , during which time he received a direct commission to 2 nd Lieutenant. During his tours, Lt. Robert Howard enlisted in the U. Howard served a total of 54 months in Vietnam.

During one thirteen month tour, he was recommended for the Medal of Honor on three separate occasions, but due to the covert nature of the operations, two were reduced — to the Silver Star and Distinguished Service Cross. In the remainder of his time in Vietnam, Howard was given a commission to 2 nd Lieutenant and wounded a further seven times giving him a total of eight Purple Hearts for his career.

He retired as a Colonel in Russell retired from the military in with the rank of Colonel, having been awarded eightPurple Hearts. During numerous tours in Vietnam, Waugh was involved in many different operations including multiple combat High Altitude Low Opening insertions. By the time Sgt. Waugh retired in , he had been wounded two more times for a total of eight Purple Hearts. This post is sponsored by FOX Nation. Staff Sgt.