Purple Heart Question

RicInOR · Dec 5, 2017

Purple Hearts are only awarded when ...

If you get an on the job injury while in CONUS you would not be eligible right? Ie cut yourself while opening a box.

How about when a co-worker does something to hurt you - ie you get hit by a truck ?

How about when violence is involved?

This comes up as there is a petition to get an PH for victims of the Fort Hood shooting.
I don't want to sign support if that is an improper award.

TIA

BillM · Dec 5, 2017

Non Combat injuries are not eligible for the Purple Heart. I guess the question is whether Ft. Hood was enemy
action (terrorist attack qualifies). Last I heard the military would not classify it as a terrorist action.

mkwerx · Dec 5, 2017

RicInOR said:
Purple Hearts are only awarded when ...

If you get an on the job injury while in CONUS you would not be eligible right? Ie cut yourself while opening a box.

How about when a co-worker does something to hurt you - ie you get hit by a truck ?

How about when violence is involved?

This comes up as there is a petition to get an PH for victims of the Fort Hood shooting.
I don't want to sign support if that is an improper award.

TIA

Not supposed to be for booboos ie box cuts, broken feet by accidents etc. I honestly don't think Ft Hood victims should get it either - they were not deployed, and not in combat. They were victims of terrorism and pisd poor policy handed down from civilians who, if they ever dud serve, typically did so unremarkably.

Bad enough Kerry got one for essentially a booboo in Vietnam, it should remain a special award for those injured in a combat.

JDAVIS · Dec 5, 2017

taken from wiki... take that for what its worth

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed. Specific examples of services which warrant the Purple Heart include any action against an enemy of the United States; any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged; while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; as a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces; or as the result of an act of any hostile foreign force. After March 28, 1973, it may be awarded as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack. After March 28, 1973, it may be awarded as a result of military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.

L84Cabo · Dec 5, 2017

I seem to recall Fort Hood...at least the first one...was deemed "workplace violence." Thanks Obama.

Caveman Jim · Dec 5, 2017

BillM said:
Non Combat injuries are not eligible for the Purple Heart. I guess the question is whether Ft. Hood was enemy
action (terrorist attack qualifies). Last I heard the military would not classify it as a terrorist action.

Only because Owebama told them not to.

Oathkeeper1775 · Dec 5, 2017

The recruiters didn't qualify either?

IDK about the people injured at the Pentagon on 911...

Seems to me that if a service member qualifies for the National Defense Service Medal (while serving during the GLOBAL War on Terror), our wounded warriors should receive the PH anytime an enemy attacks/injures them; whether the enemy is a chicken-shist non-attributional coward or wearing the enemy's uniform..

The military drags it's feet on issues that may cost money....

clearconscience · Dec 9, 2017

My wife's cousin I believe got a purple heart because he was driving a humvee in iraq and a iraqi cut him off, he slammed on the brakes and broke his nose on the steering wheel.

I think there should be levels of purple hearts

JRuby · Dec 9, 2017

mkwerx said:
Not supposed to be for booboos ie box cuts, broken feet by accidents etc. I honestly don't think Ft Hood victims should get it either - they were not deployed, and not in combat. They were victims of terrorism and pisd poor policy handed down from civilians who, if they ever dud serve, typically did so unremarkably.

Bad enough Kerry got one for essentially a booboo in Vietnam, it should remain a special award for those injured in a combat.

At least he was there not trying to get out the stateside duties to go work on an election.

Mephistopheles · Dec 9, 2017

Like all awards in all branches of the service Purple Hearts can be awarded on nothing more then rank and/or popularity. Officers need their "ticket punched" to further their careers. A Purple Heart is one of those punches that looks good on their record. John Kerry received a Purple Heart for having a grain of rice temporarily blown into his eye from a helicopter. Several guys in my platoon received open wounds due to enemy action and never received squat. I was hit by shrapnel one month into my tour and never received anything. Our philosophy at the time (1967) was "Purple Heart and a dime will get you a cup of coffee." Once saw a Sergeant in my platoon claim to have a shrapnel wound to his eye, medic said he couldn't see anything, but because he was liked by the platoon leader, he received a Purple Heart. Same is true of all awards. First of all, Officers received medals for things the average Private did on a daily bases. Look again at John Kerry for shooting an unarmed Vietnamese boy in the back and getting a Silver Star for hand to hand combat in the incident. Got a lot of this info from guys who served with him. When an enlisted man gets a Bronze Star, an Officer gets a Silver Star for the same thing. EM Silver Star = Distinguished Service Cross/ Navy Cross for Officer and so on up the line. There were some units in VN that gave everyone of their troops a Bronze Star when they were finished with their tour. Meanwhile many field troops never received squat after ducking AK rounds their whole tour. In the series, Band Of Brothers, They mentioned that cooks received Bronze Stars for bringing hot chow up to the lines when it was safe enough while the guys that jumped in to Normandy/Holland and survived the Battle of the Bulge didn't get anything. Just a movie but demonstrates the fact of awards. This is true in all branches of the service. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. Okay, enough fuming on my part.

mkwerx · Dec 9, 2017

JRuby said:
At least he was there not trying to get out the stateside duties to go work on an election.

Agreed - he *was* there. I would not say he distinguished himself, but he was there. Lot of men were. Lot did not come home, or come home in one piece. His contemporaries, including two former Presidents, weren't.

Andy54Hawken · Dec 10, 2017

In my time of combat...I've seen things that were "above and beyond" and things that were done , that many folks would consider Heroic on a almost daily basis...Plus a few outright acts of cowardice.

I myself have a few combat awards and medals...but I really do not feel at all heroic...Just lucky to have come home in one piece and have made peace with myself for what I had to do... ( guess that's two "pieces"

)

Medals and awards often only tell part of a story...the men who were there are the story.

Many folks who deserved more , just received a stone marker of some sort...I hope that they and the men who have returned home , but still relive those moments in their mind , get the peace that they truly deserve.
Andy

Ruger Rich · Dec 10, 2017

AndyinEverson said:
In my time of combat...I've seen things that were "above and beyond" and things that were done , that many folks would consider Heroic on a almost daily basis...Plus a few outright acts of cowardice.

I myself have a few combat awards and medals...but I really do not feel at all heroic...Just lucky to have come home in one piece and have made peace with myself for what I had to do... ( guess that's two "pieces" )

Medals and awards often only tell part of a story...the men who were there are the story.

Many folks who deserved more , just received a stone marker of some sort...I hope that they and the men who have returned home , but still relive those moments in their mind , get the peace that they truly deserve.
Andy

So nicely spoken. And so true. You've echoed my thoughts. I saw a lot in Vietnam and about seven people in my life know about it. And that's where it stays.