In 1943, the order was amended to include personnel of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Officially reinstituted on February 22, 1932, the now familiar Purple Heart was at first an Army award, given to those who had been wounded in World War I or who possessed a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate. The Badge of Military Merit, as it was called, fell into oblivion until 1932, when General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff, pressed for its revival. Records show that only three persons received the ward: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, Sergeant William Brown, and Sergeant Daniel Bissel Jr. Designed to recognize 'any singularly meritorious action,' the award consisted of a purple cloth heart.
The Medal of Honor The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by the nation's fighting men was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782.
