August 7, 2026 — Purple Heart Day
Check out this week’s blog post by IP attorney, author Timothy Trainer, host of the podcast and video show Tim’s Travails • Follow Tim on Substack
Image: T. Trainer, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster earned by author’s father for wounds received in Korea and Vietnam
August 7th is officially Purple Heart Day. On August 7, 1782, George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit”. At that time, it wasn’t bestowed on those wounded or killed in action but presented to soldiers for meritorious action. George Washington creates the Purple Heart | August 7, 1782 | HISTORY. This original medal was awarded more in line with the requirements of today’s Medal of Honor. The original badge was made of silk. The silk badge was purple and heart-shaped with the word “Merit” stitched across the badge.
On George Washington’s 200th birthday in 1932, the U.S. War Department (the official agency name from 1789-1947) created the Order of the Purple Heart. George Washington creates the Purple Heart | August 7, 1782 | HISTORY. The Order of the Purple Heart, the oldest American military decoration for military merit, is awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces who have been killed or wounded in action against an enemy or may thereafter die of wounds received. A Purple Heart is authorized for the first wound suffered under conditions as prescribed, but for each subsequent award an Oak Leaf Cluster is awarded and worn on the Purple Heart Medal or Ribbon: hrc.army.mil. The Army’s website provides detailed criteria for awarding the Purple Heart.
Sadly, we’re adding hundreds of new recipients of the Purple Heart due to hostilities with Iran. Thus far, there have been 18 service members killed and over 600 injured. Pentagon says new Iran war casualties category tied to end of Operation Epic Fury. Information disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information Act request indicates that head trauma is disproportionately high among those who have been injured since the U.S. initiated the war earlier this year. Shrapnel, broken bones and head trauma: New records show how US troops were wounded in Iran war.
As this on-again, off-again war progresses, it is worth reminding ourselves of the tens of thousands of service members deployed around the world. We should be aware that at any given moment the U.S. or an adversary might initiate hostilities that result in death or injury to our troops. Service members and their families continue to pay a heavy price for their service. It is incumbent upon the rest of us to demand that the U.S. isn’t the one initiating hostilities unless there are clearly articulated reasons and objectives and a commitment to provide the best health care available to those who are injured.
“The Fortunate Son,” by Timothy Trainer
About the Timothy Trainer: Writing books is a passion for attorney Timothy Trainer, who for more than three decades focused on intellectual property issues in his day job. He has worked in government agencies and in the private sector, and his assignments have taken him to 60 countries around the world.
Tim found time to pen a few non-fiction tomes, including his first book, Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights;the 15th edition was published in 2022. Thomson Reuters’ Aspatore Books published Tim’s next title in 2015, Potato Chips to Computer Chips: The War on Fake Stuff.
Fiction was a genre he always wanted to try. In 2019, Pendulum Over the Pacific, was released by Joshua Tree Publishing. “This political intrigue story is set in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., and centers on trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan in the late 1980s,” Tim explains.
In 2023, his first series hit bookstores: The China Connection.
In 2025, he published the sequel, The China Factor, which ranked #63 on the Amazon Asian Literature list in May.
Click here to learn about all of Tim’s books.
