The Purple Heart – Oldest Military Decoration still Awarded Today

The Purple Heart – Oldest Military Decoration still Awarded Today

Feb. 22, 2020, marks 88 years since Gen. Douglas MacArthur reinstated the Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration still awarded today. The Badge of Military Merit, as it was called, fell into oblivion until 1932, when MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff, pressed for its revival.