Actually the requirements for the Purple Heart have changed dramatically since its inception. Also different branches of the service have awarded it differently at different times. There's also been several directives that offer the medal in arrears.
It's actually a really complicated path to follow. Here's a nice history: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/PurHrt.htm The baseline requirement is "A wound which necessitates treatment by a medical officer and which is received in action with an enemy, may, in the judgment of the commander authorized to make the award, be construed as resulting from a singularly meritorious act of essential service." But it seems like there's a lot of leeway that the commanding officer can take with that. Jim Davis -----Original Message----- From: dana tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 6:24 PM To: CF-Community Subject: sam - getting back to purple hearts I am only in here for a minute... but I got back to the bookstore owner who has a Purple Heart over the weekend. He says *he* got a *his* for a torn cartilage in his knee he got while in Vietnam. The only requirement, he says, is that you be in a combat zone. The injury does not have to be caused by enemy fire. So perhaps it is your source that is mistaken. fwiw Dana -- Diebold: It's a better way to deliver a state ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:134787 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
