Military Order of the Purple Heart
Salutes its Army Veterans on the
240th Birthday of the US Army
June 14, 1775 marks the date that the Continental Congress, voting in
secret session, reached the momentous decision to establish a
"Continental Army." Because of the secrecy of the meeting, the
records indicate only that the Congress agreed to undertake the
raising of ten companies of riflemen, whose enlistment would be for
one year only, and appointed a committee (including Washington and
Schuyler) to draft rules and regulations for the government of the
army. Until then, loosely organized militias and individual patriots
bore the brunt of the opposition to British occupation of the colonies.
Many of the initial units were formed from the estimated 10,000 men
that made up existing New England troops, plus another 5,000 men
from New York and Connecticut who were defending various points in
New York.
This year, we celebrate 240 years of selfless service to the nation.
"Selfless service is at the core of what it means to be a Soldier putting the welfare of others ahead of oneself. The willingness of our
Soldiers to place themselves in harm's way and to protect our nation's
freedoms is what makes us the greatest Armed Forces in the world.
The men and women who have made up the US Army have served
proudly, faithfully, and selflessly for 240 years, and remain steadfast
in their commitment to protect and defend until today."
In the 240 years since the establishment of the US Army, it is
estimated that more than 1.4 million Americans gave their lives, plus
another 1.5 million men and women who were wounded in combat
against the enemies of the United States of America. This selfless
service and willingness to sacrifice one's own life to defend our nation
and the freedoms that all American's enjoy is what marks those who
proudly wear the Purple Heart medal as true American Patriots.