August 7th is National Purple Heart Day.
The earliest form of what we now know as the Purple Heart was established by Washington in 1782 as the "Badge of Military Merit." It is America's oldest U.S. military decoration.
The original color of the badge, designed by George Washington himself, was purple, a color that is believed to represent courage and a color that was the primary color when the “Purple Heart” was officially established.
For more information on the history of the Purple Heart, go to VA.gov.