Purple Heart Earned
December 12, 2011
Editor’s Note (8/5/2021): The information on this page has been updated. You can read more about Purple Heart eligibility and qualifications here.
We get asked about how to obtain a Purple Heart by veterans on a regular basis. This issue has even infiltrated pop cultures. The CBS show “Harry’s Law” about a quirky law firm recently had a story line about an Iraq veteran who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), but did not get a Purple Heart.
Since this is the military, it starts with filling out a form. DD Form 149 is a request to correct military records. The veteran is asking the Department of Defense (DOD) to adjust its military records to reflect that a combat injury was received, sufficient to require medical treatment, and that a Purple Heart was earned. You must explain, document, and prove the nature of the injury.
As you start the process you should obtain a copy of your discharge papers, otherwise known as a DD214, and see if it reflects wounded in combat. You will have to gather service or medical records to prove the combat injury. A recommendation for the citation from your unit commander and a buddy statement about the conditions under which the injury was received.
It is a long process, but worth it to prove ones status and obtain the recognition and benefits that go with the Purple Heart.