The Purple Heart Revisited...

  Here is a brief summary of the Purple Heart from britannica.com:

 Purple Heart, the first U.S. military decoration, instituted by General George Washington in 1782 and awarded for bravery in action. The records show that only three men received it during the American Revolution, all of them noncommissioned officers. Two of these coveted badges still exist. The original medal, sewn onto the coat, was simply a purple heart-shaped piece of cloth edged with silver braid. Although this was the medal of honour of the Revolution, it seems to have been forgotten for about 150 years. The 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth marked the revival of the award (February 22, 1932)...

I was in the Vietnam War, with my dates of service, December 1967 through December 1968.

I was not -- physically -- wounded in any of the skirmishes I experienced, but for many years later -- over 10 years, I, along with many of my brothers, suffered from what is now labeled: PTSD.  

Those who served in World War I, as well as World War II -- I can include the Korean War -- were labeled as having experienced "shell shock".  However, and sadly, some (who suffered with "shell shock" -- PTSD) were looked upon and treated as cowards, if you can believe that! 

As for myself, protecting the perimeter, during the wee hours of the morning, and waiting and watching for any enemy activity: mortar, rocket or ground attack, the idea of dying didn't enter my mind, that is, not until after any military operation took place!  That's usually when the idea that I could have been taken out of this world would finally hit me...

When my tour of duty ended, the majority and I of those who served in Vietnam, flew home on commercial or military jets.  So, some of my brothers might have been in the jungles or rice paddies and fighting for their lives, were pulled out of the field, put on those jets and landed back "in the world," (the U.S.) in about 10-15 hours! 

That's hours, not days or weeks as previous war veterans were transported on troop or hospital ships.  Those brothers had a chance to unwind, talk, eat some halfway decent food, get some counseling, sleep, get medical attention, etc., but not us... 

In addition, many Vietnam vets suffered with the future effects of deadly herbicides such as Agent Orange.  In fact, many have passed away over the years because of those chemical agents...

(I had a massive cancerous tumor (due to Agent Orange), removed in 2020, followed by 30 radiation treatments, which led to chronic kidney disease and other ailments.))

I have often wondered if they -- myself included -- should be acknowledged for those unseen wounds of the heart, mind and soul, especially those who suffered and died from the family of lethal chemicals used to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam?

Would such suffering and death merit a Purple Heart?  

I don't know, but what I do know is that many families of those vets also suffered seeing their loved ones, slowly, in some cases, painfully slip away from them after answering the call to fight the brutal communists in Southeast Asia...

For now, the Purple Heart is, again, reserved for those who suffered wounds from combat...

Please pray for me and my brothers -- and for all veterans of all wars -- and for peace on earth!

Viva Cristo Rey!  Bl. Fr. Miguel Pro, Fr. Emil Kapaun and Fr. Vincent Capodanno, pray for us...

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

Gene DeLalla