Purple Heart Denied to PTSD Victims

Another great decision from the US Government..

Troops won't get Purple Heart for stress disorder - CNN.com

Isn't it about time the military and the government recognized the debilitating condition people can be forced to live with as a result of PTSD? The criteria for the award of a Purple Heart medal specifically recognizes those service members wounded in the line of duty. In this day and age, can they also not recognize that psychological injuries are valid and can often take years longer to heal than physical ones?

 

No.

In my opinion, the Purple Heart award should be reserved for military personnel who have received tangible wounds as a result of enemy action.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is so difficult to assign to a specific cause as to be problematic. Who can say with any certainty whether a serviceman is messed up because of his military service, or because of a lousy childhood, or because he is simply genetically unable to properly cope with the normal tribulations of life?

If somebody diagnosed with PTSD, is to be given a medal for that fact, let it be a medal specifically understood to be for PTSD, so there will be no misunderstanding as to how he, or she, won it.

 

As a sufferer of PTSD, I wouldn't accept a Purple Heart for that, if offered. I served from 76-87. I worked, long and hard, along with others, to get the Cold War medal made and awarded (even though I had to buy my own-certificate in hand). Those of us who served in that period didn't get the "gimme" National Defense Medal that those of us before and after got-just for enlisting.

I'm not sure that any medal is appropiate for PTSD sufferers. I'm thinking some kind of certificate and card (to be carried in the wallet). There are a number of homeless vets, and PTSD is very much a contributing cause. Carrying the card should be a free pass to a VA hospital, and possibly for free emergency care (PTSD related).

Kevin was my best bud in junior high and high school. We both joined the service after high school and lost track of each other. Twenty years later I found him and his sister (through Classmates). Kevin and I exchanged several bizarre emails. I then contacted his sister. She told me he hadn't been right since Desert Storm. We both had PTSD, but I got help. I wish I could do something for my friend, but some guys who got it really bad need a real Angel.

I say this because I saw the first season Christmas episode of Touched By An Angel the same week I found out about what happened to Kevin. One of the sub plots was about a homeless Desert Storm veteran whose life had fallen apart. The story struck too close to home and I spent the night in tears.

 

Well said, LCP!

 

Fully agree w/ Lias. Also, the Purple Heart can be awarded to Civilians who were wounded during an enemy engagement--according to a book written by a vet that I read. As far as I know-it's still available & you can get a copy of it at Barnes & (Ig)Nobles Bookstores. Don't ask me for the name of title or Author-because no--I didn't forget the info-I didn't pay attention to the info as I wasn't going to buy the book.

 

Carl is right on...

Purple Heart

Paragraph 2-8, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards)
25 February 1995​

The Purple Heart was established by General George Washington at Newburgh, New York, on 7 August 1782, during the Revolutionary War. It was reestablished by the President of the United States per War Department General Orders 3, 1932 and is currently awarded pursuant to Executive Order 11016, 25 April 1962, Executive Order 12464, 23 February 1984 and Public Law 98-525, 19 October 1984.
a. The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force or any civilian national of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded-

• (1) In any action against an enemy of the United States.
  (2) In any action with an opposing armed force of a foreign country in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or have been engaged.
  (3) While serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
  (4) As a result of an act of any such enemy of opposing armed forces.
  (5) As the result of an act of any hostile foreign force
  (6) After 28 March 1973, as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack.
  (7) After 28 March 1973, as a result of military operations while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force.

 

Danke. Something else I remembered from the book I read-was that the first three PHs ever awarded were to three Sergeants serving in George Washingtons Continental Army. All PHs were meade of cloth like Felt-and were sewn onto the Soldiers uniforms. None of these PHs are thought to still exist.

One of the three recipients-was a Sgt. Brown-I don't recall the other two sergeants names-unfortunately.

 

Not any more!

Public Law 105-85, Title V, Subtitle G, (Military Awards), Section 571, repealed the authority to award the Purple Heart medal to civilians serving under the authority of any branch of the Armed Forces, effective May 18, 1998.

See: http://bulk.resource.org/gpo.gov/laws/105/publ85.105.pdf

 

Hi D/A, thanks for the up-dated info ;-))

 

There are already medals awarded for PTSD they are the: Combat Action Ribbon, for Navy and Marines and the Combat Infantry Badge or Combat patch for the Army.

In the old days PTSD was referred to "shell shock", "combat fatigue" and "delayed stress" and it was universally accepted that if you were a recipient of any of the above named awards you also suffered from one of those disorders.

The problem with the current assignment of "PTSD" to those disorders is that it is diagnosed on a sliding scale and all manifestations of the disorder are not treated the same way.
Unlike more common battlefield injuries such as a "Sucking Chest Wound" (is there a chest wound that doesn't suck?) or the traumatic amputation of a limb. Those are very cut and dry and their manifestation is apparent and and their treatment pretty much uniform (ie lots of blood and a scar).

PTSD on the other hand has a very different presentation in that it can manifest in many ways: being afraid to go to sleep, irritability, loss of concentration, self doubt, depression, alcoholism, child abuse, spousal abuse, suicide the list goes on.

When I was a kid we had a patio boat. One of the first nights we camped over on it I woke up the next morning and found my step dad, WW2 vet, sleeping on the shore in a shallow hole facing into the woods with his chin resting on a wooden oar.

It was also not uncommon for him to shoot Germans out of the back yard walnut tree with a golf club.

It is my hones belief that in the military awarding any PTSD specific medal would be the same as hanging an Albatross around ones neck.

Rant complete.

Brad

 

Hi Brad, welcome to the site and very well said.

One of my Uncles who served in the Pacific-also suffered from Battle fatigue. His experiances fighting the Japanese on Okinawa and elsewhere--drove him to become an Alcoholic for most of is life. Thankfully, a few years before he passed away, he gave up drinking--cold turkey.

Aside from his drinking problem, he was a great Uncle to have and was my favorite of all my Uncles.

 

I can understand everyones point of view on reserving the Purple Heart for a physical injury, but for the sake of arguement, would a specific medal for PTSD be treated as less important or less prestigious than a Purple Heart? Not being a veteran or active service member myself, is the Purple Heart that revered or is it simply a matter of not taking away from the importance of the award to those who already earned it?

 

You need to understand the true issues of PTSD and it's "triggers". Giving a medal or citation for such an affliction would only exacerbate the condition by reinforcing the feelings of guilt and inadequacey through the wearing of the medal. Not to mention wearing such an award could subject the "soldier" to prejudice. In the warrior caste system that is the US military mechanism such an award would be regarded as a sign of weakness or short comming.

Brad

 

I think a medal awarded specifically for PTSD probably would be considered somewhat less prestigious than a medal awarded specifically for a bodily wound. Consider what PTSD is; it is a failure, over time, to cope mentally with the stresses inherent in combat. Furthermore, PTSD is not restricted to military experience; it can be inflicted by any traumatic experience encountered in life, although it is most commonly associated with the brutality of combat and killing in war. People have suffered PTSD after severe car accidents, plane crashes, crimes such as attempted murder, rape, even abusive childhoods, and such mundane things as major surgery or amputations.

Although it is fasionable these days to talk about PTSD as a consequence of experience in war, the fact is the huge majority of combat veterans in WW II did manage to eventually make a satisfactory mental adjustment to civilian life after the war. Most of those who needed help in making that adjustment preferred to keep that part of their lives private.

The problem I see in trying to award a medal for PTSD is that it would be recognizing something that most people would rather be kept private. Some years ago, I was acquainted with a WW II vet who had the misfortune to spend about a year as a guest of the Japanese after being shot down in his Corsair. I had heard stories from my father (a WW II carrier pilot), who was also acquainted with the man, about his ill treatment while in captivity. One evening, while drinking with him, I asked if he ever had nightmares, or suffered other bad effects from his experience. His answer was that it was none of my G** D**** business.

 

Although I served in the Cold War, I picked up a higher than average number of medals/ribbons for things I had accomplished inservice. Three weeks after I got out, a Sergeant who had served under me committed suicide.

His funeral was on base. As his Commanding Officer I felt I was obligated to go, even though I was no longer in. I put on my uniform and drove to the base gate. They were making "positive i.d. checks" (quite rare in the 1980's). The MP at the gate asked for my i.d. I told him I had been out for three weeks and was going to a funeral. He looked at my three rows of ribbons and said:"Sir, someone with that amount of fruit salad should have an i.d.". I reiterated that I was going to a funeral and since I had been the base Provost Marshal (he was new) I reminded him that the Sergeant presently in the chapel was from his unit. He suddenly made the connection and popped to, saluting me, and saying "Go ahead Sir".

The Sergeant had had PTSD. In the 80's, there was little the service did about it. Giving some kind of award would actually be counter productive. In a couple of post military workplaces, people figured out I had PTSD and it became a source of humor for them. One co-worker would sneak up on me, but keep a space at the same time because PTSD sufferers are easily startled and swing first-ask questions later. In another place, one guy would kick a door behind me, justifying his actions with the statement:"Find a scab, pick it till it bleeds."

I've had a couple of wig outs. When a neighbor startled me from a deep sleep at midnight with a string of firecrackers (I thought I was being shot at) I hit the floor, rolling around, until the realization sunk in about what was happening. In a fury, I then snapped up a shotgun and threatened to seriously ventilate the vehicle of the offender. He put away the fireworks and I went back to bed. This was just before I met Lia. She had a look of horror on her face when I did tell her about it, but she also knew I was in therapy at the time.

Anyway, as John Astin used to say on Night Court:"And then I had the setback with the cheeze whiz (pause), but I'm feeling muuuch better now."

 

I would have to agree with Lias. I would think that if I had PTSD, that I would prefer the government to provide me with the proper support and care needed and not a piece of metal. But then again, that is me. Either way, I don't think that it should be awarded to them.