Quiz of the Day
Purple Heart Day
Friday, 7 August 2026
August 7 is Purple Heart Day — commemorating the military honor established by George Washington in 1782 to recognize those wounded in combat
1. Who established the Purple Heart award?
- Woodrow Wilson
- George Washington
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Abraham Lincoln
George Washington established the 'Badge of Military Merit' on August 7, 1782, at his Newburgh, New York headquarters — making it one of the oldest US military decorations. It was revived and renamed the Purple Heart in 1932 on the 200th anniversary of Washington's birth. Only three soldiers received the original 18th-century version of the award.
2. What does the Purple Heart medal depict on its face?
- A soldier's helmet
- A gold star
- An eagle
- George Washington's profile
The Purple Heart features a gold portrait of George Washington in uniform on a purple heart-shaped medal with a gold border. The reverse side shows a bronze heart with the inscription 'For Military Merit.' The medal is awarded in the name of the President of the United States, not a specific branch of the military.
3. Who is the most decorated US soldier in history, having received the Medal of Honor and numerous other awards?
- John Basilone
- Lewis Puller
- Audie Murphy
- Alvin York
Audie Murphy received 33 US military decorations including the Medal of Honor, three Purple Hearts, and decorations from France and Belgium. He single-handedly held off an entire German company for an hour while wounded, standing on a burning tank destroyer. After the war, his autobiography became the basis for a film in which Murphy played himself.
4. The Purple Heart is awarded for what specific criteria?
- Saving another soldier's life
- Service in a combat zone
- Acts of extreme bravery only
- Being wounded or killed in combat against an enemy
The Purple Heart is unique among military decorations in that it is awarded based on what was done TO the service member, not what they did. It can be awarded posthumously. As of the 2020s, over 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932, with over 400,000 given just during World War II.
5. During which conflict were the most Purple Hearts awarded?
- Korean War
- World War I
- World War II
- Vietnam War
More than 400,000 Purple Hearts were awarded during World War II. A massive stockpile of Purple Heart medals was produced in anticipation of a US invasion of Japan — projecting enormous casualties. That stockpile was so large that it reportedly continued supplying Purple Hearts for every conflict through the 2000s without needing new production.
6. What is the name of the organization established specifically to support Purple Heart recipients?
- American Legion
- Wounded Warrior Project
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- Military Order of the Purple Heart
The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) was chartered by Congress in 1958 and is the only veterans service organization exclusively for combat-wounded veterans. It advocates for healthcare, benefits, and services for Purple Heart recipients and their families. Membership is restricted to those who have been awarded the Purple Heart.
7. The Medal of Honor is the US military's highest decoration. How many US presidents have received the Medal of Honor?
- 3
- 2
- 0
- 1
Only two US presidents have received the Medal of Honor: Theodore Roosevelt (awarded posthumously in 2001 for his charge up Kettle Hill/San Juan Hill in 1898) and Arthur MacArthur Jr. (father of Douglas MacArthur). Controversially, President Bill Clinton awarded Roosevelt's posthumously over a century after the battle.
8. Which war saw the first widespread use of the term 'shell shock' for psychological combat injuries?
- Korean War
- US Civil War
- World War II
- World War I
Shell shock emerged during WWI as doctors observed soldiers exhibiting tremors, paralysis, and mental breakdowns with no physical wounds. The British military initially treated it as cowardice and even executed some sufferers. 'Shell shock' is now understood as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), and the condition has been recognized in the DSM since 1980.
9. The Congressional Medal of Honor was first awarded during which war?
- Spanish-American War
- War of 1812
- US Civil War
- Mexican-American War
Congress established the Medal of Honor in 1861 during the Civil War. The first recipients were six survivors of the Andrews' Raid — a Union espionage mission where soldiers stole a Confederate locomotive. The raid inspired the 1926 film 'The General' starring Buster Keaton, considered one of cinema's greatest comedies.
10. What is the main criterion that distinguishes the Distinguished Service Cross from the Medal of Honor?
- DSC is second highest — for extraordinary heroism, MOH requires the highest level
- There is no difference — they are equivalent awards
- DSC is for Navy, MOH is for Army
- DSC is for peacetime, MOH is for wartime
The Distinguished Service Cross (Army), Navy Cross, and Air Force Cross are the second-highest combat decorations, just below the Medal of Honor. Recipients of these awards are sometimes later upgraded to the Medal of Honor when historical reviews conclude the original assessment was too conservative — often addressing racial disparities in earlier award decisions.
11. Which ethnic group of US soldiers was historically underrecognized for valor during WWII and received posthumous Medal of Honor upgrades decades later?
- Italian Americans
- Both African and Japanese Americans
- Japanese Americans
- African Americans
Both the all-Black Tuskegee Airmen unit and the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team were historically underrecognized. President Clinton upgraded 22 Distinguished Service Crosses to Medals of Honor for Asian-American WWII veterans in 2000. The 442nd became the most decorated unit of its size in US military history — despite their families being held in internment camps back home.
12. What is the 'Stars and Stripes,' and how does it relate to military history?
- The name of a famous WWII battleship
- The US military's independent newspaper since 1861
- The official name of the US flag
- The marching band tune of the armed forces
Stars and Stripes has served as the independent newspaper of the US military since the Civil War, revived in both World Wars and permanently established in 1942. It's constitutionally protected from censorship or government control despite being funded by the Department of Defense. The Trump administration attempted to shut it down in 2020 but Congress intervened to protect it.
13. What physical object worn by US soldiers in combat is colloquially called a 'dog tag'?
- Metal identification tag worn around the neck
- Silencer on a weapon
- Unit patch on the uniform
- Military ID card
US military identification tags have been worn since the Civil War, when soldiers etched their names on coins or made DIY tags before battles. The modern standardized dog tag system began in 1906. Each tag contains the soldier's name, service number, blood type, and religious preference — two are worn so one can stay with the body and one returned to command if a soldier is killed.
14. What was unique about the all-female Soviet 588th Night Bomber Regiment in WWII?
- They flew the most bombing missions of any unit
- Germans called them 'Night Witches' for their silent attacks
- They shot down more enemy planes than any other unit
- They parachuted behind enemy lines
The 588th Night Bomber Regiment flew rickety, slow biplanes called Polikarpov Po-2s — crop dusters dating from the 1920s. To avoid detection, they'd cut their engines on approach and glide silently to their targets. Germans called them 'Nachthexen' (Night Witches). The regiment completed over 23,000 sorties and received the highest Soviet honors, with 23 women becoming Heroes of the Soviet Union.
15. Where is the US Military Academy (West Point) located?
- Washington DC
- West Point, New York
- Annapolis, Maryland
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
West Point has been a military post since 1778 and became the US Military Academy in 1802 — making it the oldest service academy in the United States. Notable graduates include Ulysses Grant, Robert E. Lee, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and Buzz Aldrin. The campus sits on a strategic bend of the Hudson River that George Washington considered the most important point in America.