Purple Heart [Military Law] Law and Legal Definition
Purple Heart is a U.S. military decoration awarded for death or wounds inflicted by forces hostile to the U.S. In order to qualify, the wound must have necessitated treatment by a medical officer.
Following is a federal statute that defines the term Purple Heart:
According to 10 USCS § 1131, the decoration known as the Purple Heart may only be awarded to a person who is a member of the armed forces at the time the person is killed or wounded under circumstances otherwise qualifying that person for award of the Purple Heart.
