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By Spc. Matthew Leary/ Task Force Fury PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan – As Soldiers stand tall and proud in their Class A Uniforms, ribbons of merit are prominently displayed just to the side of the lapel of their jacket. These ribbons, which represent medals Soldiers have been awarded, signify the accomplishments, service and sacrifice they have made throughout their military career.
And although each decoration may be clearly recognizable to all who serve, the historical significance of each medal may not be well known.
This was the case for Army Sgt. Mark A. Clinger, an anti-armor specialist with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, when he was awarded the Purple Heart. He received the medal, but knew little about it historically.
"I wanted to know what it was all about," Clinger said. "I got it and all I knew was that it had George Washington's face on it."
On his first deployment to Afghanistan, Clinger was injured on Feb. 13, 2004 during an improvised explosive device attack on his convoy here in Afghanistan. Clinger sustained multiple injuries and spent several months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering, he said.
In the aftermath of the event, Clinger became interested in the history and legacy of the medal he had been awarded, he said.
"A lot of people don't understand what it is about," Clinger said. "When they first came up with the award it was an achievement or meritorious medal, similar to the Bronze Star or Silver Star."
The Purple Heart was established by General George Washington at Newburgh, New York on Aug. 7, 1782, during the course of the Revolutionary War, and was at first known as the "Badge of Military Merit," according to www.purpleheart.org, a website dedicated to the history of the award.
"The general, ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his Soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over the left breast, the figure of a purple heart," Washington wrote in his general orders that day establishing the badge.
Washington had devised the medal specifically for lower ranking Soldiers. In no other contemporary army, including the U.S., did such a medal exist.
In his writing, Washington spoke about his creation of the medal rewarding all Soldiers military service, regardless of rank.
"The road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus open to all," he said.
In accordance with Washington's design, the Badge of Military Merit was designed simply, a figure of a heart made of purple cloth or silk.
After the Revolutionary War, the Badge of Military Merit faded out of use for nearly 150 years. It wasn't until Feb. 22, 1932 that the medal was revived by the U.S. War Department.
It was renamed the Purple Heart, due to the original design by Washington, and the medal's new design, which is still used today, was a product of the imagination of Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist with the Office of the Quartermaster General.
Out was the perishable cloth award, and in its place was a purple, metallic heart trimmed with gold.
The creators of the modern-day Purple Heart did not overlook George Washington's significance in the creation of the oldest American military decoration. A bust of George Washington in uniform stands in the middle, and his family coat-of-arms is at the top. On the back of the medal, the words "For Military Merit" are stamped.
The new Purple Heart was not designed solely for those Soldiers wounded in action, but still was for those who displayed meritorious service as intended by Washington. The Army did allow Soldiers who had earned "wounded chevrons", another award started by Washington to all Soldiers who had been wounded in action, to be awarded Purple Hearts for their actions, and this established a close link between the two decorations.
The Purple Heart became forever associated with blood loss or injury and in 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially authorized the award for all military personnel injured in combat after Dec. 7, 1941.
Today the Purple Heart is awarded to servicemembers and civilians working for the armed services who are injured in a hostile environment, like Clinger was.
A scar can be seen on Clingers left forearm and above his right eye, and less noticeable is the seven false teeth that are now a part of Clinger's smile due to the attack. And while Clinger has already been recognized with the Purple Heart for his sacrifices, perhaps more noteworthy is his continued service to his country. Clinger has re-enlisted to stay in the Army twice since then.
"These younger guys need someone who has been through it, to kind of show them the way, so that's why I re-enlisted," Clinger said.
Both of his re-enlistments have been to stay with 2-87th Inf. Reg., the unit he has deployed with twice.
It is perhaps this kind of service Washington envisioned when he introduced the Badge of Military Merit in Newburgh New York, 225 years ago.
So as Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq are out on the battlefield, risking their lives and being recognized for their heroism, perhaps they should take time to glean a little historical knowledge about the military heritage of the medals they are awarded, Clinger said.
Knowing the history behind the decorations of the modern-day Army will help Soldiers to fully understand what the medals are about and the sacrifices previously made for them, Clinger said.
Additional information on the Purple Heart and other military decorations can be found on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website at www.va.org.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.20.2007 08:28 |
| Story ID: | 10026 |
| Location: | KHOST, AF |
| Web Views: | 202 |
| Downloads: | 147 |
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