It was not until World War I that an organized hierarchy of valor and merit medals began to take shape. In all that time only the original three were known to have been issued. 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.ĭespite this great start, the Badge of Military Merit was soon forgotten for 150 years. 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. 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. Most awards, decorations, and medals were given to great commanders, aristocrats, or kings. At that time, and for many decades afterwards, there were very few awards that common soldiers could receive in service of their country. What now is known as the Purple Heart began as the Badge of Military Merit, established by George Washington on August 7, 1782. The Purple Heart is the oldest active military award in the United States and, like the country it represents, has gone through many changes. “For military merit and for wounds received in action,” reads the citation issued to over 1 million men and women who served during World War II. From that moment on he joined a new group of distinguished servicemembers, recipients of the Purple Heart.Īpart from the Medal of Honor, one of the most recognizable awards in the US Armed Forces is the Purple Heart. The fight against the Shuri line continued for the 4th Marines, but for Duet his war was over. Duet woke up before he was placed in the grave that was being prepared for him, but the severity of his wounds led to the loss of his left arm below the elbow. He soon joined 70 of his comrades who were wounded or killed in the few hours it took to change places with the 22nd Marines. On May 19, Duet and his unit, I company, 4th Marines, 6th Marine Division, were in the process of relieving the 22nd Marine Regiment on top of Sugarloaf hill when he was hit. At that moment, Duet had spent less than nine months in the US Marine Corps, however, he had been in combat since the April 1 landings on Okinawa, which was enough to make anyone a combat veteran. It was May 19, 1945, on a hill called Sugarloaf, during the Battle of Okinawa. Duet ever heard the explosion that killed three men in his position and shredded his lower left arm.
It is unlikely that Private First Class Clifton A.