Archive for the ‘Purple Heart’ Category

Purple Heart Family Support

Have you ever lost hope after your tour of duty? Have you felt alone after you have left the cold land of war? Have you felt that your wounds seem to grow bigger and bigger even after the gun stopped firing? Don’t worry you are never alone on your journey back to recovery.

Purple Heart Family SupportWounded soldiers often feel alone on their journey. They feel that they are in the battle alone. They have the lingering feeling of combat between their skin and bones. They may have left the battlefield physically, but a part of them is still there. There is a foundation that can help them get in touch with the people around them and provide a network and support group who knows what they are going through. The Purple Heart Family Support system has been around for years to provide wounded servicemen the support they need.

The Purple Heart Family Support provides a learning center to help families gain access to military hospitals, notifications or any pertinent information for their wounded loved one. Through the foundation families can reunite with their wounded loved one. Get him or her back into reality and their everyday lives without feeling alone or disconnected.

Wounded Warrior Meals

One of the foundation’s programs is the Wounded Warrior Meals. The program has served over 6,000 meals to wounded soldiers. The foundation also takes donations from donors so that they can distribute the needed items to their respective families in need.

Learning Center

The foundation also has a Learning Center to execute definitive plans for soldiers wounded in combat. With the Learning Center soldiers and their families will know which questions to ask and who to approach to get as much information as they can. The foundation will be with the families and the wounded soldier in their journey back. Soldiers will receive all the help they need for recovery be it psychological, physical or any problem they may encounter on their road to recovery.

A Network for Other People Who Are Experiencing the Same Things

The Purple Heart Family Support provides soldiers and families a network for other people who are experiencing the same things as they are. The foundation gives families and soldiers the opportunity to share their stories and drops of wisdom to each other. There is no better feeling than to be able to tell your story to other people who are willing to listen. By sharing your story to others with the network the foundation provides you will gain insight into your own experiences and you will be able to unload a heavy weight off your chest. You will no longer face the battle alone, there are other people who share the same pain and experiences.

Purple Heart Journal

The foundation provides injured soldiers Purple Heart Journal where they can write their medical conditions and document what needs to be done to help their bodies and minds recover. It also provides families and soldiers an ear that would willingly listen to their pains and troubles. The foundation seeks to help soldiers on their road to recovery. We might not be able to fully heal your wounds but we will be there to support you every step of the way.

The Military Order Of The Purple Heart (MOPH)


The color red usually stands for courage, bravery and heroism. Blue represents determination and perseverance. It is ironic that what is commonly considered as opposites would be able to produce the noblest of colors when mixed together….purple. Throughout history, and even in the Bible, the color purple symbolized royal authority, power and dignity. Maybe it was for these qualities that being awarded the Purple Heart Award meant sacrifice that is without parallel and beyond the call of duty.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart or MOPH is the only organization officially granted to be an institution by Congress in 1958 to represent the military veterans who were awarded the Purple Heart Medal. It was formed for the safeguard and mutual interest of all those who were decorated with the Purple Heart Medal.

The mission of the Military Order of the Purple Heart is to create an organization that will help develop cooperation, friendship and trust among veterans who have been wounded in combat or warfare, to promote loyalty and love for country, to support legislative acts or proposal that will further their cause, and to provide necessary assistance to the veterans and their immediate family. Loyalty and love for country means true allegiance to the government of the United States of America and to its constitution.

The MOPH headquarters is located in Springfield, Virginia. To date, it has a total membership of 43,000.

To become a member, one must be of good moral character, has not been dishonorably discharged, and has been decorated the Purple Heart Medal.

If the eligible member has passed away, immediate family (lineal) members can become Associate Members. If one is the mother, wife, daughter, sister, widow, step-daughter, granddaughter, or legally adopted lineal descendant of the eligible member, then one is also eligible to become a member of the Ladies Auxiliary (LAMOPH).

The Military Order of the Purple Heart has several national programs like the National Service Program which directly assists veterans to as far as Guam and Puerto Rico, in receiving well-deserved benefits. Assistance can take the form of legal assistance or representation. One does not need to be an MOPH member to avail of the National Service Program. There is also the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services (VAVS), a program that assists veterans who are in VA facilities and homes or centers.

To date, the VAVS is the largest volunteer program in the U.S.A. In fulfillment of their mission to promote patriotism, there is the Americanism program where MOPH provides materials and volunteers who give talks in schools and in civic organizations about their experiences and give their own perspective on current world issues. The Purple Heart Trail program seeks to pay special tribute to those Purple Heart Medal recipients by placing signs and visual reminders along the roads and highways. The first Purple Heart Trail started in Mount Vernon, Virginia where General George Washington is buried. The MOPH Scholarship Program is given to members or direct family members who meet certain academic criteria including a cumulative GPA average of at least 2.75.

Purple Heart Recipients


The Purple Heart Medal had its early beginnings in the 1770s. General George Washington was then Commander of the Continental Army of the colonies. He was a commander who led by example and formed an extraordinarily personal and fraternal bond with his army. He was very well aware of the sacrifices of his men and was personal witness to their courage in battle that he never failed to reward their heroic efforts through “field promotions”. A soldier who displayed exemplary gallantry in battle was not only promoted in rank but was also given monetary reward.

When the British surrendered in 1781 and when the American Revolution ended in 1782, government funds were exhausted and Congress had informed the General to stop all forms of promotion. The General thought of other ways to continue with the practice of recognizing his men’s meritorious service. Thus was formalized Gen. George Washington’s General Order of August 7, 1782. In these General Orders, he ordered that any enlisted or non-commissioned veteran who has served with “bravery, fidelity and good conducted” be given a chevron (an inverted V) to be worn on the left sleeve. Service of three years merited one chevron while six years merited two. This badge focused on service and not rank, meaning even the common soldier could be awarded this badge of service.

Gen. George Washington even went further by including in his General Orders of 1782 that a badge also be given to a citizen or an individual who have similarly exemplified and did acts of bravery and extraordinary merit. This would be known as the Badge of Military Merit.

The Badge of Military Merit was fashioned out of purple, silk cloth with white, lace borders. Any one who received this Badge also received privileges that are usually only available to officers. The first two recipients of this Badge of Merit were Sergeant Elijah Churchill and Sergeant William Brown. The badges were made personally by Gen. Washington and they came with a certificate listing why the award was being given. The award, however, did not catch on with Gen. Washington’s successors and was soon forgotten.

Two hundred years later, during the preparations for the bicentennial celebration of Gen. Washington’s birth, Gen. Douglas McArthur decided to re-establish the Badge of Military Merit. The Purple Heart Medal carries the profile of Gen. Washington on its front. Purple heart recipients were those who were killed or wounded in combat.

Today, the Purple Heart medal is one of the most highly recognized and respected awards. One cannot get a Purple Heart by achievement or service alone but by sacrificing blood in combat – death or combat wound or as a prisoner of war.

Other criteria which make one eligible to be a Purple heart recipient are the following:

  • Wounded or killed as a direct consequence of foreign terrorist attacks against the United States or friends of the United States.
  • Wounded or killed as a direct result of military operation while serving as peacekeeping force outside the United States.

Click here to acces the Purple Heart Recipients database.

Purple Heart Charity Organization

Mention the word charity, and one would usually associate it with fund-raising activities, Mother Teresa, selflessness, donations to the disabled or handicapped and the needy. Even Hollywood is not foreign to charity. Some of the biggest stars have turned philanthropists by lending their name to help certain charitable organizations or institutions of their choice.

Charitable foundations “or organizations” main focus is to raise funds or money and at the same time, raise or create awareness and even legal reforms about its chosen cause. There are currently more than five hundred charities recognized by the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) and out of these five hundred, only a handful can be labeled as top-rated based on the analysis done. To be ranked as top-rated, some of the prerequisites would be that the charitable organization dispenses 3 of its budget on programs, they do not hold too much assets in reserve, and they are transparent or they give full disclosure of their finances.

The Purple Heart Charity Organization is one of the highly regarded and reputable national organizations. It was formed and chartered the same time as the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) was established with it being the fund-raising arm of the MOPH. The main objective of the Purple Heart Charity Organization is to raise funds in order to provide necessary and much needed assistance to the homeless, handicapped and disabled war veterans and their families. In the past, assistance was extended only to those who were decorated the Purple Heart Medal but now, it is giving aid to ALL veterans for their health and welfare. It has been classified as a 501(c)(3) by the IRS, meaning all donations are tax-deductible.

Being a part of the Purple Heart Charity Organization can take different forms.

Donations can be made in the form of money, used clothing, household appliances, used furniture, mobile phones, and even cars, motorcycles, or other modes of transportation. For each mobile phone, the organization receives a corresponding dollar amount that is used for the calling cards of members of the military who are stationed overseas. Other services that this organization provide are grants for rehabilitation programs, claims assistance, and training programs. All the other items donated are sold to thrift shops all over the country and the money raised finance all the programs.

Donations can also be through the form of time through volunteer service and/or hosting events in one’s community, school, or organization to help raise awareness about Americanism or U.S. History and raise funds for the war veterans at the same time. Outreach programs also help to give much needed assistance and service to veterans living in remote areas.

It is always a matter of personal choice or prerogative over which charitable institution one opts to donate to. Donating to the Purple Heart Charity Organization is the greatest and finest way one can express gratitude for the many war soldiers and veterans who sacrificed life and limb to make the Unites States of America the free and powerful country it is now.

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