Tag: Executive Order 9277

August 7th is Purple Heart Day

A Day to Honor America’s Combat Wounded and Fallen Heroes

By Executive Order 9277, dated December 3, 1942, the decoration was extended to be applicable to all services and required that regulations of the Services be uniform in application as far as practicable. This executive order also authorized the award only for wounds received.

PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS

   War I:                     250,000¹

   War II:                    964,409

   Korea:                    136,936

   Vietnam:               200,676

   Persian Gulf:                590

   Afghanistan:             3,495 *

   Iraq:                         34,808 *

   Total Estimated:      1.7 M¹

   NOTE¹:  Estimates only.  Battlefield awards and incomplete records; 1974 fire in St. Louis repository.

   *Data as of 6/20/2009