Anybody know of any instances where a soldier recieves a Purple Heart from a self-inflicted wound?

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You are about to embark on the great crusade towards which we have striven these many months - Eisenhower

I don't know of a case in fact. This could only happen either if the Drs were stupid, or lied about the soldiers injury. This of course speaking if he shot himself instead of stabbing hisself.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Here's some interesting information on the Purple Heart and it's standards. http://www.americal.org/awards/ph.htm
(5) Examples of injuries or wounds which clearly do not qualify for award of the Purple Heart are as follows:

(a) Frostbite or trench foot injuries.

(b) Heat stroke.

(c) Food poisoning not caused by enemy agents.

(d) Chemical, biological, or nuclear agents not released by the enemy.

(e) Battle fatigue.

(f) Disease not directly caused by enemy agents.

(g) Accidents, to include explosive, aircraft, vehicular, and other accidental wounding not related to or caused by enemy action.

(h) Self-inflicted wounds, except when in the heat of battle, and not involving gross negligence.

(i) Post traumatic stressdisorders.

(j) Jump injuries not caused by enemy action.
But as you can see there are "exceptions".
http://www.3rdmarines.net/Vietnam_Se...rple_Heart.htm

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Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it- Sun Tzu

Very nice, OTF. I applaud you. [img]graemlins/moh.gif[/img]

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You are about to embark on the great crusade towards which we have striven these many months - Eisenhower

The British do not have the purple heart. but if you are invalided out of the services due to your war injuries you were awarded the "Kings Medal" for your lapel,it is inscribed GRI surmounted by the crown. with the legend "For Loyal Service! inscribed around the front in a circle,. I have had mine since 1945,.what is more important is the disabled war pension that goes with it.
Cheers
Sapper Brian

Sapper,
Is there a picture somewhere on the web. I'm interested...

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You are about to embark on the great crusade towards which we have striven these many months - Eisenhower

Hi If you are asking about my picture? then click on the "cameos of war" that takes you directly to the page, though out of date.
Brian

Is this the medal?

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Hi NO that is not it.

The Kings medal is worn in the lapel, it is about just over an inch in size. made of stainless steel. it has inscribed on the front only;
GRI with the crown over and round the front in a circle the legend "For Loyal Service" I have worn mine in my lapel for 59 years,Seriously!
There was a rumour that they woud withdraw it and issue a silver one later it did not happen.
Brian

Thank you very much for the information, sir! I'll look for it and I'll post it here. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun

Onthefield

Why does Trench foot not give you right to a Purple Heart?
Trench foot is a quite serious disorder which you don't choose to have I thought.

Popski

[ 10. December 2003, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: Popski ]

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Monty Python's Killing Joke

The US rep. at Margraten told me that the PH was only given to people with wounds caused by enemy action. Unless the trenchfoot was caused by enemy action, it doesn't qualify for a PH.

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Being ditched in a trench for a day or two up to your ankle's in water and the only way out will have your have you shot (btw that will earn you a PH ) for me does earn you a PH. It is not a self inflicted wound and it is wery painfull which is not a wound you would choose for. Still not clear why the US did not award PH for trench foot.

Popski

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Wenn ist das Nunstrück git und Slotermeyer? Ja!.. Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
Monty Python's Killing Joke

trenchfoot might not get you a PH, but it gets you out of the line most of the time. Heck, at Bastogne, Captain Winters sent back a kid who was trying to dig a fox hole with his hands and he had torn all of his fingernails off. I know that was because he didn't want the kid's fear to spread all along the line, but still...

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You are about to embark on the great crusade towards which we have striven these many months - Eisenhower

G'day

Did some reading on trench foot and it isn't the kind of wound you would inflict on yourselvesto get out of the line. Men did sometimes tie a ribbon around their thigh to make it look like the first onset of trench foot. These men "lost "these symptons very quickly and were send back on the line. The real trench foot is a very painfull business which could lead to amputation of the foot or feet. Not likely the men got self inflicted trench foot with the risk of loosing a foot is my opinion. Giving trench foot as a reason to get panicking troops of the line as a false reason not to give soldier a bad name of loosing his nerves,is not fair to the many men getting trench foot staying in their foxholes for days because their was no safe way out. The revalidation of trench foot is very hard and painfull with a lot of possible complications. Trench foot looks to me not to be the million dollar wound or a Blighty, there must be easier ways.

Popski

[ 11. December 2003, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: Popski ]

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Wenn ist das Nunstrück git und Slotermeyer? Ja!.. Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
Monty Python's Killing Joke

For me this one suc*s the most, what if, you are calling in an airstrike and your own planes drop a load of ordinance down on you...like it happened all the time in Vietnam and both gulf wars?


Interesting, why is one stuck in a trench long enough to get a case of the 'foot? I would have thought in a lot of cases because one is taking shelter from/hiding from the enemy!

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Der große Stoß Büstenhalter auf Ihrem Kopf!!

"Friendly Fire" also happened in WWII 2 .
Saw an article in a 1940 Lancet medical paper that people in bomb shelters got a sort of trench foot. Sitting on deckchairs with the wooden pole in their knees in the cold shelters sitting there for hours on end got the first onset of trench foot (btw also seen on long seavoyages with people sitting a long time in deckchairs).
And a simular symptom was seen with people wearing tight wet gloves for a long time getting necrosis of the fingers. And in the Falkland war 14% of the casulties had trench foot. Not to be underestimated the people you can loose of a
fighting unit in a very short period, and the revalidation also takes a few weeks to moths, i they ever come back.

Popski

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Wenn ist das Nunstrück git und Slotermeyer? Ja!.. Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!
Monty Python's Killing Joke