The Purple Heart!

Army Clarifies Purple Heart Rules For Soldiers

Purple Hearts were initially awarded to recognized meritorious service, but during World War II, the medal was changed into a recognition of combat injuries and deaths.

March 17, 2011 - Acknowledging that commanders have sometimes wrongly denied the Purple Heart to soldiers who suffered battlefield concussions, the Army plans to issue new guidance to clarify when such recognition is warranted, Army officials said Wednesday.

In addition, the Army is planning to prioritize appeals from brain-injured soldiers who feel they should not have been turned down for the medal, a hallowed military honor that recognizes those injured in combat.

Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's second in command, said he reviewed the Army's policies on the Purple Heart and called for the new guidelines as a result of an investigation by NPR and ProPublica. In a report published last September, we found that Army commanders denied Purple Hearts to some soldiers who sustained concussions, despite regulations that make those who suffer such wounds eligible for the medal.

"What was clear to us is that there's confusion about concussion and the Purple Heart," Chiarelli said. "There's confusion on the part of commanders, and there's confusion even on the part of doctors." {continued}

Shhhhhhh, don't let these folks in on this, they might not get as much fun out of the 'purple heart' as they do, Then Again, even the vets among them!!