Purple Heart, Order of the

The earliest US military award for distinguished service beyond the call of duty, established by George Washington 1782, when it was the equivalent of the modern Congressional Medal of Honor. Made of purple cloth bound at the edges, it was worn on the facings over the left breast. After the American Revolution it lapsed until revived by Congress in 1932, when it was established as an award for those wounded in combat. The present Purple Heart is of bronze and enamel.