Rep Sean Patrick Maloney joined local veteran leaders, Gold Star families and others Thursday to celebrate the Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act being signed into law.
The celebration, appropriately, took place at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor. Maloney, who sponsored the act, said its bipartisan passage in Congress was a result of “years of hard work.”
(Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney/Released)
The act authorizes commemorative coins to be produced at the U.S. Mint at West Point, honoring the hall and all Purple Heart recipients. There will be $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins and half-dollar clad coins, to be minted during 2022.
After production costs are recouped, proceeds from sales of the coins will go to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission Inc., to help it expand its programs. In addition to augmenting the mission’s annual multi-day Patriot Project that brings Purple Heart recipients from across the nation to the hall, funds will go toward creating a new mobile tribute and education center that will visit communities across the nation, educating new generations about the medal.
(Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney/Released)
The Purple Heart, first awarded in 1932, is based on the Badge of Military Merit created by Gen. George Washington while at his Newburgh headquarters in 1782-83 and presented to three of his officers.
The Purple Heart is awarded to members of all military service branches who are wounded or killed in combat. There have been an estimated two million recipients of the medal.
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