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Purple Heart Day

The Purple Heart has an interesting history. I’ve interviewed several WWII vets and Vietnam who have been awarded Purple Hearts. Be sure to read about the American soldier who has been awarded the most Purple Hearts!

GP's avatarPacific Paratrooper

Purple Heart patch for those wounded in WWII Purple Heart patch for those wounded in WWII

On this date in 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged in silver, with the word Merit etched.  It was to be presented for any one meritorious action and it permitted the wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge.   The honoree’s name and regiment were to be inscribed in “The Book of Merit.”

Purple Heart certificate given during the Korean War Purple Heart certificate given during the Korean War

Only three soldiers are known to have been awarded this medal during the Revolutionary War: Elijah Churchill, William Brown and Daniel Bissell Jr.  The Book of Merit was lost and the medal was virtually forgotten.  In 1927, General Charles Summerall  sent an unsuccessful draft bill to Congress to revive the Badge.

Patch for Afghanistan Patch for Afghanistan

General Douglas MacArthur took up the cause…

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Birthday Tribute to World War II Vet Don Shady

Today I want to say ‘Happy birthday’ and give tribute to a World War II vet that I’m happy to call my friend. We attend the same church and usually see each other weekly, but I didn't know Don Shady well when I interviewed him about his experiences in the Army Air Corps during the... Continue Reading →

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WWII Legacies Profile: Paul Zurcher

Thirteen weeks after being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943, Paul Zurcher of Monroe was on the front lines of battle in Italy. He was part of the 10th Mountain Division, a machine gun squadron in which Zurcher served as the ammunition bearer. Often, while burrowed in a foxhole during battle, 19-year-old Zurcher wondered... Continue Reading →

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WWII Radio Interview: Success!

  You can tell by the expressions on our faces that World War II vets Bob Foster & Don Shady and I enjoyed our time on the air last week with talk show host Nelson Price. Nelson is the host of a long-running live history talk show —Hoosier History Live!   Hoosier History Live is... Continue Reading →

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WWII Vets to Share Stories on Upcoming Radio Interview

On Sat 2/28 my husband John & I will accompany 2 World War II vets from my book -- World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans -- to University of Indianapolis to be featured on a Hoosier History Live radio show. It airs each Saturday, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7... Continue Reading →

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WWII Vet Vernon Affolder served at D-Day and Battle of the Bulge

My Vet of the Week is Vernon W. ‘Bun’ William Affolder of Decatur, IN. Mr. Affolder died on Monday, Jan. 20, 2014. His birthday would have been tomorrow.   I interviewed him in his home three years ago. He became emotional about several parts of the war that were still very real to him. That... Continue Reading →

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Elmo Rieddle served in Army Air Corps during WWII.

I’d like to recognize a vet who passed away last year. Elmo Rieddle was drafted into the Army Air Corps in 1943. He worked two years as a mechanic for the 486th Bomb Squadron at Sudbury England. After he was discharged at the war’s end, he was a member of the Army National Guard for... Continue Reading →

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WWII Navy Vet Aided at Pearl Harbor, Attu

  May 8, 1921-Jan 17, 2015 It is with sadness that I tell of the passing of Richard Vanderwall  whose story was included in my book, World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans. I met Richard Marvin Vanderwall, Sr. when my mother introduced me to him at the location where they both lived... Continue Reading →

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Wish a WWII Vet Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday. I live in the Midwest of the US and have sworn to myself that someday I’m going to be somewhere warm for my birthday! Right now it is 30 degrees so I know it could be worse. But I'm definitely thinking 'beach' is in a future birthday! Anyway, I have nothing... Continue Reading →

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Marty Wyall Last WWII WASP in Indiana

“Being a WASP changed our thinking about everything,” said Marty Wyall of Fort Wayne. Among the 25,000 applicants for the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots), Mary Anna Martin of Indianapolis was one of 1,830 women accepted and one of only 1,074 who completed the program. This is an excerpt from my book, World War II... Continue Reading →

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