Medal awarded by the U.S. military to soldiers wounded in combat by the enemy. The medal itself is heart-shaped, with the profile of President George Washington in white on a purple background. Created in 1782, revived in 1932.
Recipients are eligible to join The Military Order of the Purple Heart, a veterans organization.
| Name | Occupation | Birth | Death | Known for |
|---|
| Alex Agase |
Football |
27-Mar-1922 |
3-May-2007 |
Head Coach at Northwestern, Purdue |
| Eddie Albert |
Actor |
22-Apr-1906 |
26-May-2005 |
Oliver on Green Acres |
| James Arness |
Actor |
26-May-1923 |
3-Jun-2011 |
Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke |
| Julius W. Becton, Jr. |
Government |
29-Jun-1926 |
|
FEMA Director, 1985-89 |
| Warren Bennis |
Educator |
8-Mar-1925 |
|
Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge |
| Angelo Bertelli |
Football |
18-Jun-1921 |
26-Jun-1999 |
Winner, 1943 Heisman Trophy |
| Roy Bourgeois |
Activist |
1938 |
|
School of the Americas Watch |
| Charles G. Boyd |
Military |
15-Apr-1938 |
|
Retired General, US Air Force |
| Jerry Boykin |
Military |
c. 1949 |
|
Pentagon's resident Jesus freak |
| Neville Brand |
Actor |
13-Aug-1920 |
16-Apr-1992 |
Birdman of Alcatraz |
| Daniel Brewster |
Politician |
23-Nov-1923 |
19-Aug-2007 |
US Senator from Maryland, 1963-69 |
| Charles Bronson |
Actor |
3-Nov-1921 |
30-Aug-2003 |
Death Wish |
| Jesse Brown |
Government |
27-Mar-1944 |
15-Aug-2002 |
US Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, 1993-97 |
| Jack Buck |
Journalist |
21-Aug-1924 |
18-Jun-2002 |
Voice of the Cardinals |
| Walter Burkemo |
Golf |
9-Oct-1918 |
8-Oct-1986 |
Winner, 1953 PGA Championship |
| Raymond Burr |
Actor |
21-May-1917 |
12-Sep-1993 |
Perry Mason |
| Howard W. Cannon |
Politician |
26-Jan-1912 |
5-Mar-2002 |
US Senator from Nevada, 1959-83 |
| Evans F. Carlson |
Military |
26-Feb-1896 |
27-May-1947 |
Carlson's Raiders |
| Richard H. Carmona |
Doctor |
22-Nov-1949 |
|
US Surgeon General, 2002-06 |
| Willis Carto |
Activist |
17-Jul-1926 |
|
Founder of Liberty Lobby, IHR |
| Ronald D. Castille |
Judge |
16-Mar-1944 |
|
Pennsylvania Chief Justice |
| Paddy Chayefsky |
Playwright |
29-Jan-1923 |
1-Aug-1981 |
Network |
| Mark Clark |
Military |
1-May-1896 |
17-Apr-1984 |
US Army Chief of Staff |
| Wesley Clark |
Military |
23-Dec-1944 |
|
Supreme Allied Commander, 1997-2000 |
| J. Gary Cooper |
Business |
2-Oct-1936 |
|
US Ambassador to Jamaica, 1994-97 |
| John Crommelin, Jr. |
Military |
2-Oct-1902 |
2-Nov-1996 |
Rear Admiral, US Navy |
| Duke Cunningham |
Politician |
8-Dec-1941 |
|
Congressman from California, 1991-2005 |
| Martin Dardis |
Journalist |
c. 1922 |
16-May-2006 |
Followed the Watergate money to Nixon |
| Bud Day |
Activist |
24-Feb-1925 |
|
Former POW |
| Steven B. Derounian |
Politician |
6-Apr-1918 |
17-Apr-2007 |
Congressman from New York, 1953-65 |
| Bob Dole |
Politician |
22-Jul-1923 |
|
US Senator from Kansas, 1969-96 |
| Tammy Duckworth |
Military |
12-Mar-1968 |
|
Blackhawk pilot, wounded in Iraq |
| Michael J. Dugan |
Military |
22-Feb-1937 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 1990 |
| Charles Durning |
Actor |
28-Feb-1923 |
|
The Muppet Movie |
| Dale Dye |
Actor |
8-Oct-1944 |
|
Warriors, Inc. |
| Hermann Eilts |
Diplomat |
23-Mar-1922 |
12-Oct-2006 |
US Ambassador to Egypt, 1973-79 |
| Daniel T. Eismann |
Judge |
c. 1947 |
|
Idaho Chief Justice |
| Sam Ervin |
Politician |
27-Sep-1896 |
23-Apr-1985 |
US Senator from North Carolina, 1954-74 |
| Marshall Field IV |
Business |
15-Jun-1916 |
18-Sep-1965 |
Owner of the Chicago Sun-Times, 1956-65 |
| Ronald R. Fogleman |
Military |
27-Jan-1942 |
|
USAF Chief of Staff, 1994-97 |
| Malcolm Forbes |
Business |
19-Aug-1919 |
24-Feb-1990 |
Forbes publisher, Faberge collector |
| Joe Foss |
Military |
17-Apr-1915 |
1-Jan-2003 |
WWII ace, Governor of South Dakota |
| Frederick M. Franks, Jr. |
Military |
c. 1935 |
|
Retired US Army General |
| Paul Fussell |
Historian |
22-Mar-1924 |
23-May-2012 |
The Great War and Modern Memory |
| James Garner |
Actor |
7-Apr-1928 |
|
Jim Rockford on Rockford Files |
| Chris Gibson |
Politician |
13-May-1964 |
|
Congressman, New York 20th |
| Wayne Gilchrest |
Politician |
15-Apr-1946 |
|
Congressman from Maryland, 1991-2009 |
| Jim Gilchrist |
Activist |
1949 |
|
Minuteman Project founder |
| Thomas Gill |
Politician |
21-Apr-1922 |
3-Jun-2009 |
Lt. Governor of Hawaii, 1966-70 |
| J. Scott Gration |
Military |
? |
|
Major General, USAF (Ret.) |
| Bo Gritz |
Military |
18-Jan-1939 |
|
Former Green Beret |
| Ed Guthman |
Journalist |
11-Aug-1919 |
31-Aug-2008 |
Nixon enemy, Pulitzer Prize winner |
| Chuck Hagel |
Politician |
4-Oct-1946 |
|
US Senator from Nebraska, 1997-2009 |
| Alexander Haig |
Government |
2-Dec-1924 |
20-Feb-2010 |
US Secretary of State, 1981-82 |
| Joe Haldeman |
Novelist |
9-Jun-1943 |
|
The Forever War |
| Tom Harmon |
Football |
28-Sep-1919 |
15-Mar-1990 |
Winner, 1940 Heisman Trophy |
| Jay Hebert |
Golf |
14-Feb-1923 |
25-May-1997 |
Winner, 1960 PGA Championship |
| Howell Heflin |
Politician |
19-Jun-1921 |
29-Mar-2005 |
US Senator from Alabama, 1979-97 |
| Thomas J. Herbert |
Politician |
28-Oct-1894 |
26-Oct-1974 |
Governor of Ohio, 1947-49 |
| Christian Herter, Jr. |
Government |
29-Jan-1919 |
16-Sep-2007 |
First Chairman, New York Urban Coalition |
| Tony Hillerman |
Novelist |
27-May-1925 |
26-Oct-2008 |
Mystery novels set at Navajo reservation |
| Charles W. Hostler |
Diplomat |
12-Dec-1919 |
|
US Ambassador to Bahrain, 1989-93 |
| Ralph Houk |
Baseball |
9-Aug-1919 |
21-Jul-2010 |
Former NY Yankees Manager |
| Dave Hughes |
Journalist |
c. 1928 |
|
Electronic bulletin boards |
| Frank M. Johnson |
Judge |
30-Oct-1918 |
23-Jul-1999 |
11th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1981-99 |
| Russell Johnson |
Actor |
10-Nov-1924 |
|
The Professor on Gilligan's Island |
| Sam Johnson |
Politician |
11-Oct-1930 |
|
Congressman, Texas 3rd |
| James Jones |
Author |
6-Nov-1921 |
9-May-1977 |
From Here to Eternity |
| Barnaby C. Keeney |
Educator |
17-Oct-1914 |
18-Jun-1980 |
President of Brown University, 1955-66 |
| John F. Kennedy |
Head of State |
29-May-1917 |
22-Nov-1963 |
35th US President, 1961-63 |
| Joseph Kernan |
Politician |
8-Apr-1946 |
|
Governor of Indiana, 2003-05 |
| John Kerry |
Politician |
11-Dec-1943 |
|
US Senator from Massachusetts |
| William M. Ketchum |
Politician |
2-Sep-1921 |
24-Jun-1978 |
Congressman from California, 1973-78 |
| Robert M. Kimmitt |
Diplomat |
19-Dec-1947 |
|
US Deputy Treasury Secretary |
| Charles C. Krulak |
Military |
4-Mar-1942 |
|
US Marine Corps Commandant, 1995-99 |
| Chris LaCivita |
Government |
c. 1967 |
|
Crosslink Strategy Group |
| Melvin Laird |
Government |
1-Sep-1922 |
|
US Secretary of Defense, 1969-73 |
| Jessica Lynch |
Victim |
26-Apr-1983 |
|
PFC captured by Iraq, rescued |
| Douglas MacArthur |
Military |
26-Jan-1880 |
5-Apr-1964 |
General of the Army |
| Torbert H. Macdonald |
Politician |
6-Jun-1917 |
21-May-1976 |
Congressman from Massachusetts, 1955-76 |
| Dayton S. Mak |
Government |
10-Jul-1917 |
|
US Ambassador to Kuwait, 1962-63 |
| William Manchester |
Author |
1-Apr-1922 |
1-Jun-2004 |
The Arms of Krupp |
| Jim Marshall |
Politician |
31-Mar-1948 |
|
Congressman from Georgia, 2003-11 |
| Edward Martin |
Politician |
18-Sep-1879 |
19-Mar-1967 |
Governor and Senator from Pennsylvania |
| Spark Matsunaga |
Politician |
8-Oct-1916 |
15-Apr-1990 |
US Senator from Hawaii, 1977-90 |
| Barry McCaffrey |
Government |
17-Nov-1942 |
|
White House Drug Czar, 1996-2001 |
| John McCain |
Politician |
29-Aug-1936 |
|
US Senator from Arizona |
| Daniel T. McCarty |
Politician |
18-Jan-1912 |
28-Sep-1953 |
Governor of Florida, 1953 |
| Pete McCloskey |
Politician |
29-Sep-1927 |
|
Congressman from California, 1967-83 |
| Evan Mecham |
Politician |
12-May-1924 |
22-Feb-2008 |
Governor of Arizona, 1987-88 |
| Montgomery Meigs |
Military |
11-Jan-1945 |
|
Military analyst |
| Robert H. Michel |
Politician |
2-Mar-1923 |
|
Congressman from Illinois, 1957-95 |
| Arnold Miller |
Labor Leader |
25-Apr-1923 |
12-Jul-1985 |
UMW President, 1972-79 |
| William G. Milliken |
Politician |
26-Mar-1922 |
|
Governor of Michigan, 1969-83 |
| Parren J. Mitchell |
Politician |
29-Apr-1922 |
28-May-2007 |
Congressman from Maryland, 1971-87 |
| Kevin E. Moley |
Diplomat |
c. 1947 |
|
US Ambassador to the UN in Europe, 2001-06 |
| Arch A. Moore, Jr. |
Politician |
16-Apr-1923 |
|
Twice Governor of West Virginia |
| Thomas H. Moorer |
Military |
9-Feb-1912 |
5-Feb-2004 |
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1970-74 |
| Robert S. Morrison |
Business |
c. 1941 |
|
Vice Chairman of Pepsi, 2003-05 |
| Robert Mueller |
Government |
7-Aug-1944 |
|
FBI Director |
| Carl E. Mundy, Jr. |
Military |
16-Jul-1935 |
|
USMC Commandant, 1991-95 |
| Audie Murphy |
Actor |
20-Jun-1924 |
28-May-1971 |
War hero turned cowboy actor |
| Jack Murtha |
Politician |
17-Jun-1932 |
8-Feb-2010 |
Pennsylvania Congressman, 1974-2010 |
| William F. Nichols |
Politician |
16-Oct-1918 |
13-Dec-1988 |
Congressman from Alabama, 1967-88 |
| Oliver North |
Military |
7-Oct-1943 |
|
Perjuring Iran-Contra figure |
| Mike O'Callaghan |
Politician |
10-Sep-1929 |
5-Mar-2004 |
Governor of Nevada, 1971-79 |
| Richard B. Ogilvie |
Politician |
22-Feb-1923 |
10-May-1988 |
Governor of Illinois, 1969-73 |
| George Oppen |
Poet |
24-Apr-1908 |
7-Jul-1984 |
Objectivist proponent and poet |
| William H. Parker |
Government |
21-Jun-1902 |
16-Jul-1966 |
Chief of LAPD, 1950-66 |
| Stanford E. Parris |
Politician |
9-Sep-1929 |
27-Mar-2010 |
Congressman from Virginia, 1981-91 |
| James B. Peake |
Government |
18-Jun-1944 |
|
US Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
| Tony Poe |
Military |
18-Sep-1924 |
27-Jul-2003 |
CIA ear collection operative in Southeast Asia |
| Colin Powell |
Government |
5-Apr-1937 |
|
US Secretary of State, 2001-05 |
| Joe Pyne |
TV Personality |
22-Dec-1925 |
23-Mar-1970 |
Father of attack TV |
| Charles Rangel |
Politician |
11-Jun-1930 |
|
Congressman, New York 15th |
| B. Carroll Reece |
Politician |
22-Dec-1889 |
19-Mar-1961 |
Congressman from Tennessee |
| Dennis J. Reimer |
Military |
12-Jul-1939 |
|
US Army Chief of Staff, 1995-99 |
| Bert Remsen |
Actor |
25-Feb-1925 |
22-Apr-1999 |
American character actor |
| Rick Rescorla |
Victim |
27-May-1939 |
11-Sep-2001 |
Anticipated both WTC attacks, died in 9/11 |
| Stanley R. Resor |
Government |
5-Dec-1917 |
17-Apr-2012 |
Secretary of the Army, 1965-71 |
| Craig Reynolds |
Actor |
15-Jul-1907 |
22-Oct-1949 |
The Fatal Hour |
| Frank Reynolds |
Journalist |
29-Nov-1923 |
20-Jul-1983 |
Former ABC News anchor |
| Elliot Richardson |
Government |
20-Jul-1920 |
31-Dec-1999 |
Refused to fire Watergate Special Prosecutor |
| Bob C. Riley |
Politician |
18-Sep-1924 |
16-Feb-1994 |
Governor of Arkansas, 1975 |
| Will Rogers, Jr. |
Actor |
20-Oct-1911 |
10-Jul-1993 |
Son of Will Rogers |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. |
Politician |
17-Aug-1914 |
17-Aug-1988 |
Congressman from New York, 1949-55 |
| John D. Ryan |
Military |
10-Dec-1915 |
27-Oct-1983 |
USAF Chief of Staff, 1969-73 |
| Michael D. Ryan |
Judge |
1945 |
30-Jan-2011 |
Justice, Arizona Supreme Court |
| Francis W. Sargent |
Politician |
29-Jul-1915 |
21-Oct-1998 |
Governor of Massachusetts, 1969-75 |
| Ben Schwartzwalder |
Football |
2-Jun-1909 |
28-Apr-1993 |
Syracuse Head Coach, 1949-73 |
| Norman Schwarzkopf |
Military |
22-Aug-1934 |
|
Leader in Persian Gulf War |
| Rod Serling |
Author |
25-Dec-1924 |
28-Jun-1975 |
Creator of The Twilight Zone |
| Raymond P. Shafer |
Politician |
5-Mar-1917 |
12-Dec-2006 |
Governor of Pennsylvania, 1967-71 |
| Hugh Shelton |
Military |
2-Jan-1942 |
|
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1997-2001 |
| Robert B. Sherman |
Songwriter |
19-Dec-1925 |
5-Mar-2012 |
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang |
| Jerome J. Shestack |
Attorney |
11-Feb-1923 |
18-Aug-2011 |
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis |
| Eric Shinseki |
Military |
28-Nov-1942 |
|
US Secretary of Veterans Affairs |
| John K. Singlaub |
Military |
10-Jul-1921 |
|
US Army general, CIA operative |
| Frederick W. Smith |
Business |
11-Aug-1944 |
|
Founder and CEO of Federal Express |
| Neal Smith |
Politician |
23-Mar-1920 |
|
Congressman from Iowa, 1959-95 |
| Warren Spahn |
Baseball |
23-Apr-1921 |
24-Nov-2003 |
Winner of 1957 Cy Young Award |
| James Stockdale |
Military |
23-Dec-1923 |
5-Jul-2005 |
H. Ross Perot's would-be Vice President |
| Oliver Stone |
Film Director |
15-Sep-1946 |
|
JFK |
| Gordon R. Sullivan |
Military |
25-Sep-1937 |
|
US Army Chief of Staff, 1991-95 |
| Bruce Sundlun |
Politician |
19-Jan-1920 |
21-Jul-2011 |
Governor of Rhode Island, 1991-95 |
| John B. Swainson |
Politician |
31-Jul-1925 |
13-May-1994 |
Governor of Michigan, 1961-63 |
| Dolph Sweet |
Actor |
18-Jul-1920 |
8-May-1985 |
Chief Carl Kanisky on Gimme a Break! |
| Orson Swindle |
Government |
8-Mar-1937 |
|
Federal Trade Commissioner, 1997-2005 |
| Maxwell D. Taylor |
Military |
26-Aug-1901 |
19-Apr-1987 |
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1962-64 |
| Mike Thompson |
Politician |
24-Jan-1951 |
|
Congressman, California 1st |
| Strom Thurmond |
Politician |
5-Dec-1902 |
26-Jun-2003 |
US Senator from South Carolina, 1954-2003 |
| Paul Tibbets |
Military |
23-Feb-1915 |
1-Nov-2007 |
Pilot of the Enola Gay |
| Marvin S. Traub |
Business |
14-Apr-1925 |
11-Jul-2012 |
CEO of Bloomingdale's, 1978-92 |
| John D. Vanderhoof |
Politician |
27-May-1922 |
|
Governor of Colorado, 1973-75 |
| Bill Veeck |
Baseball |
9-Feb-1914 |
2-Jan-1986 |
Chicago White Sox owner |
| John Vessey |
Military |
29-Jun-1922 |
|
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff 1982-85 |
| Kurt Vonnegut |
Novelist |
11-Nov-1922 |
11-Apr-2007 |
Slaughterhouse Five |
| Judge Wapner |
TV Personality |
15-Nov-1919 |
|
People's Court |
| James H. Webb |
Military |
9-Feb-1946 |
|
US Senator from Virginia |
| Lawrence K. White |
Spy |
10-Jun-1912 |
5-Apr-2006 |
Executive Comptroller for DCI's |
| John A. Wickham, Jr. |
Military |
25-Jun-1928 |
|
US Army Chief of Staff, 1983-87 |
| John Bell Williams |
Politician |
4-Dec-1918 |
25-Mar-1983 |
Governor of Mississippi, 1968-72 |
| William Appleman Williams |
Historian |
12-Jun-1921 |
6-Mar-1990 |
The Tragedy of American Diplomacy |
| Dale E. Wolf |
Politician |
6-Sep-1924 |
|
Governor of Delaware for 20 days |
| Albert C. Zapanta |
Government |
c. 1941 |
|
US Mexico Chamber of Commerce |
| Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. |
Actor |
30-Nov-1918 |
|
The F.B.I. |
| Anthony Zinni |
Military |
17-Sep-1943 |
|
Former C-in-C, U.S. Central Command |
| Edward G. Zubler |
Inventor |
12-Mar-1925 |
20-Mar-2004 |
Inventor of the halogen lamp |