Political Quotes

“I rise today to submit a concurrent resolution to express the sense of Congress that a commemorative postage stamp should be issued by the United States Postal Service honoring the members of the Armed Forces that have been awarded the Purple Heart. The Purple Heart, our nation's oldest military decoration, was originated by General George Washington in 1782 to recognize 'instances of unusual gallantry.' Referred to then as the Badge of Military Merit, the decoration was awarded only three times during the Revolutionary War. Following the war, the general order authorizing the 'Badge' was misfiled for over 150 years until the War Department reactivated the decoration in 1932. The Army's then Adjutant General, Douglas MacArthur, succeeded in having the medal re-instituted in its modern form--to recognize the sacrifice our service members make when they go into harm's way. Both literally and figuratively, the Purple Heart is the world's most costly decoration. However, the 19 separate steps necessary to make the medal pale in comparison to the actions and heroics that so often lead to its award. The Department of Defense does not track the number of Purple Hearts awarded, but we do know that just over 500,000 of the veterans and military personnel that have received the medal are still living.”