On Purple Heart Day: 7 facts you didn't know about the Purple Heart
The Purple Heart was established in 1782 — and has been awarded to an estimated 1.8 million service members, civilians, and courageous animals since. Here are seven facts you might not have known about the Purple Heart.
1. Army Sgt. Stubby, a dog who was smuggled to Europe by members of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, earned the Purple Heart twice during World War I -- once for being wounded in a gas attack and once for being wounded by a grenade.
2. Audie Murphy received the Purple Heart three times during World War II. He also received every combat award for valor available from the Army -- including the Medal of Honor -- as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism.
3. One of the most famous civilians to earn the Purple Heart was Ernie Pyle, a war correspondent who covered World War II from the trenches of Europe before being killed in the Battle of Okinawa.
4. Chief Nurse Beatrice Mary MacDonald was assigned to a British Clearing Hospital in Belgium during World War I. In 1917, she lost her right eye when German aircraft bombed her hospital. She received the Purple Heart for her wounds in 1936, retroactively making her the first woman to earn the award. She was also the first woman to earn the Distinguished Service Cross. MacDonald served with the Army in Belgium and France for the rest of the war.
5. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is in New Windsor, New York.
6. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Reckless, a horse, received the Purple Heart twice for wounds she received in combat during the Korean War.
7. About 1.07 million Purple Hearts were awarded during World War II, more than were awarded in all of the other conflicts of the 20th century combined.
