Soldiers With Brain Trauma Denied Purple Hearts
Posted by andersonhsstudent on October 20, 2012
Should Purple Hearts be given to soldiers that suffer traumatic brain injuries alongside of soldiers receiving them for undergoing a physical injury? The guidelines from the U.S. Department of Defense states that the criteria for the Purple Heart award is that the injury must have been caused by enemy action or in action against the enemy and has to be of a degree requiring treatment by a medical officer. But many times, it is difficult to know if a concussion or mild brain injury needs to be addressed immediately when not resulting in loss of consciousness. Therefore, many soldiers are not aware of the long term damage of the injuries they suffer and do not consult a medic and instead continue selflessly fighting for our country. Also, according to National Public Radio (NPR), even soldiers meeting qualifications to be eligible for the medal are often times denied to receive it. While some think the guidelines for receiving a Purple Heart need to be revised to consider those who experience brain injuries, others think these awards need to be specifically for those severely wounded or killed in combat.
The denial of Purple Hearts to soldiers is not an entirely new issue, as soldiers have been struggling to receive their rightful recognition for many years. I am definitely biased towards allowing all types of injuries while at war to receive Purple Hearts because I have a personal connection to someone who has suffered an injury and am aware of how much their Purple Heart medal means to them and therefore wish that every injured veteran could receive one. Below is a video clip of Congress member Chellie Pingree speaking up for soldiers who have been denied their rightful Purple Heart:
In 2010, some Army commanders refused to award the Purple Heart to many troops who got concussions in combat because they didn’t consider these “real” injuries. As a result of our story, the Army did its own investigation and put out new guidelines on Purple Hearts. Last week, the Army told NPR that under the new rules, they’ve finally awarded the medal to almost 1,000 soldiers, including Michelle Dyarman, whom we profiled in our original 2010 reports.
soccerchick3 said
I heartily agree with you. I do not understand the reluctance that the army conveys in giving out Purple Hearts to those who have only suffered small traumatic brain injuries. I believe, as you do, that anyone who has been remotely injured in a war setting should be able to receive a Purple Heart for their service to their country. I cannot imagine how it must feel to be denied a Purple Heart award when one has worked so hard to earn it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that every soldier should receive a Purple Heart- only those who have suffered injury, again, can receive it, but it shouldn’t matter what that injury is. Of course, I do not believe that one should receive a Purple Heart for small scrapes and bruises, but a traumatic brain injury in and of itself is serious enough to qualify for this category. My heart goes out to all the soldiers out there who are fighting for their country with valor- in my mind, every soldier, whether they are wounded or not, should receive some kind of award.
fearlessfishtank said
I think that injured soliders should receive purple hearts. They have fought for our country. Not only have they fought for our country, but have also been injured. Doesn’t it make sense to give them purple hearts? Injuries can cause all kinds of trauma. Emotional trauma, head trauma, and other kinds of damage. If a soldier has any kind of trauma it immediately effects him in some way. If a solider has head trauma, after his service he will not be able to return to the job he had before the war. The solider’s life will be effected forever. It just seems right to give a solider who has sacrificed himself in this way, receiving an injury, a purple heart.