The Purple Heart medal is awarded to American soldiers who have been wounded in action. If you wish to receive one, first enlist in the military. The rest is largely a matter of chance, atlhough you can volunteer for dangerous missions.
This is a much more intriging question that it first appears. The first Purple Hearts were given out the Continental Army during the Revolution and originally called the Badge of MilitaryMerit....
George Washington awarded the first Purple Hearts, then known as Badges of Military Merit on May 3, 1783 to Sergeant Elijah Churchill of the Fourth Troop of the Second Continental Dragoons,...
Earning a Purple Heart does not confer any benefits. If wounded, the service member will be provided full medical benefits. If they died they will be given full military honors at their funeral.
During the Vietnam War, approximately 2 1/2 million US servicemen served in country. Of those, approximately 58,000 died and over 300,000 were wounded; over 358,000 Purple Hearts.
No list exists. The Vietnam War lasted 10,000 days, and involved over one million US military personnel. Purple Heart medal awards were awarded for combat wounds or death in combat. Given the...