National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor honors the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart, by collecting, preserving and sharing their stories. The award is made to those members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded or killed by enemy action. The Hall of Honor is located here to commemorate the 1932 ceremony awarding of the Purple Heart to 137 local World War I veterans on these grounds.

Exhibits begin with a visual timeline of America’s 20th-21st century conflicts and is complemented by a timeline interactive display providing information on conflicts from the Civil War to today, reflecting the range of conflicts for which the Purple Heart has been available. The Main Gallery chronicles the changing nature of warfare and combatants through images, artifacts and personal narratives of individual recipients. The Roll of Honor database is available for visitors to search for Purple Heart recipients. A ten minute video provides a window into the experience of nine Purple Heart recipients.

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor honors the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart, by collecting, preserving and sharing their stories. The award is made to those members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded or killed by enemy action. The Hall of Honor is located here to commemorate the 1932 ceremony awarding of the Purple Heart to 136 local World War I veterans on these grounds.

Exhibits begin with a visual timeline of America’s 20th-21st century conflicts and is complemented by a timeline interactive display providing information on conflicts from the Civil War to today, reflecting the range of conflicts for which the Purple Heart has been available.

The Galleries take visitors through the entire Purple Heart Journey:

• Where the Journey Begins: From entering the service to being deployed.
• The Day of the Incident: The incident that results in the person being awarded the Purple Heart
• Care and treatment: The initial care and treatment, from the battlefield to the hospital
• Road to recovery: The Journey from injury to the return home or to service that can take many forms
• Ultimate Sacrifice: This space honors those who lost their lives

THE PURPLE HEART JOURNEY INTERACTIVES

Throughout our galleries there are Purple Heart Journey Interactive stations which follow featured recipients throughout their Journey: From entering service, to the day of the incident, during care and treatment, on the road to recovery, or to the ultimate sacrifice. Visitors will experience this journey through stories, letters, documents, images, audio and video clips of Purple Heart recipients sharing their stories. In addition, there are Personal Story cases highlighting six extraordinary Purple Heart recipients.

The Roll of Honor database is available for visitors to search for Purple Heart recipients.

Amenities: Passport Stamp, Family Friendly, Restrooms

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

WELCOME GALLERY AND TIMELINE: The Purple Journey begins in this gallery which also represents a timeline of America’s principal military engagements of the 20th  and 21st centuries as well as highlighting the branches of service.

MAIN GALLERY SOUTH VIEW: The Purple Heart Journey continues in the gallery, chronicling the Day of the Incident, Care & Treatment and the Road to Recovery.

ULTIMATE SACRIFICE: This final gallery commemorates those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND: Visitors entering the Welcome area are greeted by this life-sized sculpture that embodies the commitment of soldiers to each other.

BAGPIPES: This case highlights the importance of ritual and custom as part of the grieving process.

DUST OFF: For as long as battles have been fought, the wounded have been transported to receive medical care. This Vietnam era UH-1H “Huey” helicopter presents a video highlighting medical evacuation from the Civil War to today.