Purple Heart Day


Today is Purple Heart Day. George Washington established the medal "for military merit" on this day (August 7) in 1782. The Purple Heart became an award for those wounded in combat in 1917.

Over 35,000 Purple Hearts have been awarded for wounds suffered in Iraq. Over 7,000 for wounds in Afghanistan.

General Douglas MacArthur once said, "The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."

Lift up those who still suffer from the wounds of war, and remember that some wounds are invisible to the eye.


Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
My soul is in deep anguish.
How long, Lord, how long?

- Psalm 6:2-3

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