Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice original U.S. WWII Purple Heart Medal complete with its original presentation case, two additional ribbon bars, lapel pin, and an enamel U.S. Army Air Forces Technical Training Command distinctive insignia pin. The medal is both unengraved and unnumbered, with no identified recipient presently associated with the group.

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to service members wounded or killed as a result of enemy action. Its historical predecessor was the Badge of Military Merit, established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782, making the Purple Heart tradition one of the oldest in the American military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York.
This is a great WWII example which is unengraved and unnumbered. The brooch is in good shape and the pin still works well. This example comes with two original ribbons and a lapel pin, along with an enamel DI insignia for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) Technical Training Command.

The medal is in good condition and does show light wear to both the medallion portion and the ribbon itself. The case is in fair condition with minor storage wear present and light staining on the interior lining.

The history of the Purple Heart begins with Washington’s Badge of Military Merit, created at his headquarters in Newburgh, New York, on August 7, 1782. Only three Revolutionary War soldiers are known to have received the badge directly under Washington’s authority. Although the award was never formally abolished, it fell out of active use after the Revolution and was not officially revived during the 19th century.

Efforts to restore the decoration began after WWI. On October 10, 1927, Army Chief of Staff General Charles Pelot Summerall directed that legislation be prepared to revive the Badge of Military Merit. That effort was withdrawn in January 1928, although the Adjutant General retained the collected material for possible future consideration.

On January 7, 1931, Summerall’s successor, General Douglas MacArthur, reopened the project. Army heraldic specialist Elizabeth Will, working within the Office of the Quartermaster General, prepared the design that became the modern Purple Heart. Her design incorporated the profile of George Washington within a purple heart-shaped medal.

The Commission of Fine Arts subsequently reviewed plaster models from several sculptors and selected a design by John R. Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint in May 1931. The revived Purple Heart was formally announced on February 22, 1932, the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, through War Department General Order No. 3.

The initial 1932 regulations allowed qualifying Army veterans to apply for the Purple Heart if they had previously received such distinctions as the Meritorious Service Citation Certificate, Army Wound Ribbon, or Wound Chevron for service after April 5, 1917. The early regulations also permitted certain living veterans wounded in earlier conflicts, including the Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, China Relief Expedition, and Philippine Insurrection, to apply if they could document treatment for their wounds.

During the early WWII period, the Purple Heart could be awarded both for combat wounds and for meritorious service. With the creation of the Legion of Merit, this practice changed, and the Purple Heart became increasingly restricted to wounds received through enemy action. Executive Order 9277 of December 3, 1942 extended the award across the Armed Forces, while later wartime regulations further standardized eligibility.

Subsequent executive orders and legislation continued to refine Purple Heart eligibility. Executive Order 10409 of February 12, 1952 revised administrative authority, Executive Order 11016 of April 25, 1962 expanded provisions for posthumous awards, and Executive Order 12464 of February 23, 1984 addressed wounds resulting from terrorist attacks and qualifying peacekeeping operations. Later legislation also expanded eligibility in certain cases involving friendly fire and prisoners of war.

During WWII, approximately 1.5 million Purple Heart medals were manufactured, in part because planners anticipated very heavy casualties from a possible invasion of the Japanese home islands. Large numbers remained in government inventory after the war, and later generations of American servicemen continued to receive medals from these wartime stocks.

The combination of the WWII Purple Heart, original presentation case, two ribbon bars, lapel pin, and Army Air Forces Technical Training Command DI makes this a very complete and attractive wartime medal group. Although the medal is unengraved, unnumbered, and presently unidentified, the accompanying USAAF insignia gives the grouping additional context and makes it especially appealing for a WWII Army Air Forces or American decorations collection.