Friday, June 1st, 2007...12:04 pm
Forever Remembered: Purple Heart Forever Stamp
With the recent postal increases and the introduction of the Forever Stamp, there has been a political movement to reissue the Purple Heart Stamp as a Forever Stamp.
Press Release from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s website on
Washington, DC - As a new postal rate increase goes into effect, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and David Vitter (R-LA) and Representative Peter King (R-NY) announced that they have introduced the Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act in both houses of Congress to make the Purple Heart stamp a permanent “forever stamp.” The stamp, which commemorates the heroic service of our servicemembers wounded in service to our nation, is in jeopardy of being retired with the new rate change.
The Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp Act honors the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart by providing for the permanent issuance of the Purple Heart stamp and by making the Purple Heart stamp one of the Postal Service’s “forever stamps.” A “forever stamp” is a new innovation by USPS under which the stamp meets the postage required for first-class mail up to one ounce in weight even if the rate of postage is later increased. The Purple Heart stamp was first issued by the USPS on May 30, 2003.
The Order of the Purple Heart for Military Merit, commonly known as the Purple Heart, is the oldest military decoration in the world in present use. The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the Armed Forces who are wounded in conflict with an enemy force, or while held by an enemy force as a prisoner of war, and posthumously to the next of kin of members of the Armed Forces who are killed in conflict with an enemy force, or who die of a wound received in conflict with an enemy force. There are over 1,535,000 recipients of the Purple Heart Medal, approximately 550,000 of whom are still living.
The Purple Heart was established on August 7, 1782 during the Revolutionary War, when General George Washington issued an order establishing the Honorary Badge of Distinction, otherwise known as the Badge of Military Merit, or the Decoration of the Purple Heart.
The Latest Action from Congress:
Latest Major Action: 5/14/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Latest Major Action: 6/6/2007 Referred to Senate subcommittee. Status: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs referred to Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.
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