‘They Gave Me the Last Rites’
“The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding.”
—George Washington, General Orders, Aug. 7, 1782
It’s commonly known that the Purple Heart is the oldest American military decoration, proposed by Gen. George Washington as the Badge of Military Merit in 1782 to honor soldiers who performed gallantly during the Revolutionary War. But many people may be surprised to learn that the award went away soon after the fight for independence ended—and did not re-emerge
