Next Thursday, August 7, is National Purple Heart Day, also known as Purple Heart Recognition Day and Purple Heart Appreciation Day. Although the observance is a recent one stemming from efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in 2014, the Purple Heart is one of the oldest military decorations.

George Washington established the precursor to the Purple Heart, known as the Badge of Military Merit, dating back to 1782. This award was designed to recognize soldiers for acts of merit and bravery during the Revolutionary War. The Purple Heart was revived in 1932 on Washington’s 200th birthday and the modern medal features his profile.

The Purple Heart of the 21st century is presented to service members who have been injured or killed in service to the country. Major League Baseball teams have adopted the tradition of paying homage to their local Purple Heart recipients during special pre-game and seventh-inning ceremonies.

BVA salutes the numerous Purple Heart Recipients within its ranks. Virtually all of BVA’s approximately 100 founding members received Purple Hearts, as did the hundreds of other early pioneers within the organization when combat blindness was a requirement for membership.