On August 7, 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George
Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army,
created the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting
of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow
binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the face
in silver. It would come to be widely known as the Purple Heart.
The badge was to be presented to soldiers for “any singularly meritorious action” and permitted its wearer to pass guards
and sentinels without challenge.
The honoree’s name and regiment were also to be inscribed in
a “Book of Merit.”
The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located along New York State Route 300 in the town of New Windsor, New York.
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