How to Get a Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is unique among military awards because an individual receives it after the criteria have been met. No recommendation step exists for the Purple Heart as with other medals. The following steps will aid in your search for ways to be awarded this United States military medal.
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Instructions
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Suffer a wound or fatal injury from the actions of an enemy of the United States or an enemy of a friendly foreign country in which you were serving at the time of your injury. Members of peacekeeping forces or military victims of international terrorist attacks also are eligible.
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Serve as a member of any United States armed force or be a U.S. civilian serving in any capacity under competent Army authority. Civilians must have been serving under the Army when wounded and this includes government employees in a duty status when the wounds were received. This includes Army employees on temporary duty wounded while aboard a civilian aircraft during a hijacking incident, Army employees wounded while performing duties for the Army during a terrorist attack and Army employees wounded in an international terrorist incident.
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Qualify if the wound is one of the following types: any projectile, mine, trap, chemical agent, biological agent or nuclear agent caused by enemy action. Injuries caused by a vehicle accident from enemy fire or concussion injuries from enemy explosions also clearly qualify. Injuries from friendly fire also qualify if it was intended against the enemy.
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Become eligible as the next of kin of someone entitled to a posthumous award.
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Qualify as a member of the Army who received a Meritorious Service medal or wound chevrons.
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Become wounded while a prisoner of war.
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Comments
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I feel the same way. My dad got the last month off because of what happened to him. Two platoons wiped out. Then an accident where 8 people died on a bus. He broke his leg. 101st. One of the only living in his platoon. Plus agent orange. We squeezed something out of his back when he was 45. 25 years later. I think that also deserves a purple heart.
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I feel that any Vietnam Veteran who came in contact with Agent Orange should receive a Purple Heart. We qualify because Agent Orange is a chemical agent and it should have been considered friendly fire. So my fellow Vets it is time our government stands up and take care of us. Not just us but all Vets from previous wars.
