Page 7 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine
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Activities, “Betty” Cook was the first woman
Veterans to receive both the Purple Heart
Affairs and the Bronze Star. A combat
Volunteer nurse during WWII, she sustained
Service, shrapnel wounds while working
Scholarship, in a field hospital in Italy but
Americanism, continued to work on wounded
Purple Heart patients.
Trail and First
Responder 4. Charles Barger, during WWI,
Programs. and Curry T. Haynes, during the
Many of the Vietnam War, hold the record for
Purple Heart the most Purple Hearts awarded
the “Order of Precedence”. For recipients in this magazine belong – ten each. Barger was awarded
example, the Congressional Medal to the MOPH chapters in Lubbock twenty-four medals, including the
of Honor is the highest award. and Amarillo. Medal of Honor. In one assault
The Purple Heart is number 21 in alone, Haynes dodged multiple
the order; it follows the Bronze Purple Heart Trivia grenades, sustained a series of
Star and precedes the Defense injuries including the loss of two
Meritorious Service Medal. 1. The Purple Heart was one of fingers. Serving in the Army, he
Additional awards of the Purple the first awards in military history was awarded a staggering ten
Heart are denoted by oak leaf that could be given to lower- (equaling Barger’s record) Purple
clusters in the Army and Air ranking, enlisted soldiers or non- Hearts.
Force and 5/16” stars in the Navy, commissioned officers for their
Marine Corps and Coast Guard. outstanding service. 5. An estimated 1.9 million Purple
Hearts have been awarded since
Modern Day Recognition 2. Famous recipients of the award the order was established.
include WWII hero Audie Murphy
Today, Purple Heart recipients are (3 awards), James Arness (of 6. During WWII, the U.S.
honored in numerous ways. There Gunsmoke fame), Charles Bronson, Military made over 1.5 million
are monuments with their names Dan Blocker (Hoss of Bonanza Purple Heart medals. Half a
inscribed in countless cities across fame) James Garner, Lee Marvin, million were made at the end
America. Rod Serling, Oliver Stone, Warren of the war in anticipation of the
Spahn, Rocky Bleier (NFL), John projected casualty rate from the
The Military Order of the Kerry, Colin Powell and John planned invasion of Japan during
Purple Heart (MOPH) was McCain. John F. Kennedy is the Operation Downfall. Some of the
Congressionally chartered in only President to be awarded the refurbished WWII Purple Hearts
1932 and is headquartered in Purple Heart. are still ready to be awarded to
Springfield, Virginia. It currently troops today.
has approximately 45,300 3. The first woman to receive a
veterans. Its membership is Purple Heart was Army Lt. Annie
exclusively made up of men and G. Fox for her heroic actions
women who have received the during the Japanese attack on
Purple Heart while serving as Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
a member of the U.S. Military. She was the chief nurse at Hickam
They have initiated numerous Field in Hawaii during the attack.
national programs such as Service Also, during WWII, Cordelia
Programs for Veterans, Youth
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