Speaking of George Washington...I often drive around DC or go to Nationals games and see the DC flag and DC license plates with the same design. I thought it odd that DC had a flag that looked like a Communist flag...and always wondered about its origins. Sometime later, I saw a close up image of the Purple Heart medal and, Lo & Behold, it has the same design! Come to find out, the Purple Heart was originally a Medal of Meritorious Service given during the Revolutionary War. Only three (3) awards and were awarded by General Washington himself. In 1932, the medal was revived by Douglas McArthur on George Washington's 200th birthday. Of course, General McArthur was the 1st recipient of the newly redesigned medal...the cast model of which was made by John Sinnock (of Roosevelt Dime and Franklin Half fame). The newly redesigned medal was for both meritorious service and being wounded in action. In WWII, it became a medal for wounded troops, only. In fact, there were over 1.5 million Purple Heart medals made in WWII in anticipation of an invasion of Japan...which was unnecessary after the creation of the Atomic Bomb. As of 2000, there were still 120,000 of the WWII created Purple Hearts remaining and are still being used to the present day. Anyway, long story short, the design common to the DC Flag, License Plate, and the Purple Heart is actually the Washington family Coat of Arms created in the 12th century. It's been claimed that the U.S. Flag was inspired by this design, but there's no hard evidence to support the claim.
@yakpoo Fantastic write up loaded with history. You should expound on this a do your own thread in general discussion. I only say this as I feel this is worth of becoming a featured article.
Sorry...I didn't mean to hijack your 7070 thread. I love the 250th anniversary coin...the first commemorative minted since 1954. It just got me thinking about Washington's 200th birthday. He'll probably be designated a war criminal by his 300th birthday (2032)...assuming the Earth is still here.
Oh please don’t feel like you hijacked it. Not at all as you didn’t. At least I don’t think so. I love and throughly enjoyed it. I feel it’s worthy of being a featured article and you should get your first posting for that. Just include a bit more information.
I own this one too — a favorite coin featuring one of my favorite Americans. I've always wondered, though, why they made Washington's head disproportionately smaller than the rest of his body. It always reminds me of this:
McArthur probably got the Purple Heart for getting his pants wet during one of the film 'takes' of him walking ashore in the Philippines. It is an insult to those brave soldiers who were killed or wounded in the fight for the islands.
As yakpoo said..."The newly redesigned medal was for both meritorious service and being wounded in action."
I guess, however it was for wounds received in WWI. His purple Heart-acknowledged as the first awarded- was in 1932. The Islands were not a battle location until WWII. Note that as of the date of the award to MacArthur, all other military members that were wounded in WWI and/or received the Meritorious Service designation were also eligible for and did receive the Purple Heart.
My father served in three different wars. In the U.S. Navy Corpsman submarine duty in the South Pacific during WWII. He was awarded for his actions in saving a man on the deck that had frozen with a Purple Heart for being wounded during his rescue. He changed service to the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a medic. Under heavy fire, and with several men wounded, he treated and brought them out of the line of fire. He was wounded on his third rescue but he went back for his fourth man. Bronze Star and Purple Heart. I was 5 at that time. He was medivac to the states. During the Vietnam fiasco, my brother was in the U.S. Navy and serving on a ship when it was hit. My brother was hurt and shipped back to the states. He was awarded the Purple Heart. I was in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg in the 82nd Airborne Division. My father was in Vietnam the same time as my brother. He was walking across a helicopter pad when he was hit by a mortar. Number 3 Purple Heart. I was 21 at the time. Due to the Sullivan Act, I was exluded from combat duty. I asked my father before I filed for exemption. His words, "Hell, no! Isn't 2 of us enough this time." I became a law clerk in the 82nd Airborne Division because they found out I could type. From 1968 and 70, I sat in over 300 court-martials. Most of them were men that got orders to Vietnam and didn't want to go, or they didn't want any part of the military. My father framed all of his awards and medals for bravery. My father was 5'7" and weighed 120 pounds in stocking feet. I have pictures, if I can find them. I just finished reading a book of George Washington's life during his military career. I am glad that we are still honoring him. He was a real leader and hero.
Wouldn't surprise me since he is already under attack by the cancel culture because he owned slaves. I'm sure they can find something that in retrospect to our current attitude of care could be considered a war crime.
