Jump to content

Numbered Purple Heart List


swag
 Share

Recommended Posts

We’ve seen how research on an object can increase its value. A numbered but unnamed medal might sell for $100, but putting a name to the medal can jump the price of that medal significantly. Information is a powerful thing.

Do you have a numbered medal but unnamed Purple Heart, with no idea who it was awarded to? Think the medal is untraceable by the number alone? Wouldn’t you like to know that your Purple Heart number 256333 was awarded to a soldier with the 1st Ranger Battalion? Or your Purple Heart number 96564 was awarded to a Brigadier General? You might be in luck.

Attached below is a pdf of Purple Hearts. This information was culled from over 400 General Orders over the course of a year and many, many man hours of data entry. This pdf has over 5,000 entries that list the name, Army service number (ASN), General Order number, and the Purple Heart number. Browse through it to see if your Purple Heart number is listed.

Medal numbers with an asterisk have some anomaly associated with them. It could be a duplicate award; a change in name or ASN; the award was rescinded/deleted/amended; or some other change in information. Not listed are posthumous, POW, MIA awards; medals awarded with no medal number recorded; and second and third awards.

If you find your medal number and want like to know more, I can help fill in the blanks. For a fee, you will get the name, ASN, General Order number and date, unit of the award recipient, and a copy of the General Order entry for your soldier. This information will increase the value of your medal significantly. An unnamed yet numbered Purple Heart has value, but that same medal with a name has far more value. And the information from the General Order is a good spring board for further research of that individual (such as obtaining their service record from St. Louis).

Cost is $50 per Purple Heart number. I know some people will balk at the price, but this information can only increase your investment. Your Purple Heart might have been awarded to a member of the FSSF, a Colonel, or a French officer. Your medal is worth significantly more with the right information.

Feel free to message or email me ([email protected]) with any questions.

Kevin

Purple Hearts PDF.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was able to open it.

 

Great research Kevin! I had a few that were very close but no cigar. They are in attributed groups but the medals aren't named.

 

 

Kurt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure why the .pdf isn't cooperating. I'll post a compressed file version of the spreadsheet when I get home tonight. You cna also email me and I'll send a copy.

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried twice to open the file, and discovered that Windows Internet Explorer would not open it, Google Chrome, however did the trick, opened the file right up.

 

Kevin, I agree with Kurt, great work putting this together, excellent research aid. Thank you.

 

bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Kevin;

 

First of all I would like to say thank you for sharing the info and a great reference for the Purple Heart. It works for me fine. Many thanks.

 

Cheers

Pierre

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure why some folks can download and view no problem while others can't. I tried reducing the size of the pdf and excel file but wasn't able to get it smaller than the 251 K size limit. I'm working on a Mac/Apple and exporting it to pdf and Excel formats so Windows can read it. If anyone has any ideas I'm all ears. I'll keep trying to make it work, but I don't think I'm computer smart enough to make it work.

At any rate, I don't mind emailing the Excel version to folks who would like a copy.

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A worthwhile project, and I think it is worth the effort to resolve the issues with the pdf so everyone can see if.

 

I saved the excel file that you sent me as a pdf, and also added the explanation about the meaning of the asterisk.

 

How does this pdf file look....

 

Purple Hearts Numbers.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Swag, The file worked fine for me. In your post you say that through GO's you have been able to cross reference the serial number of a Purple Heart to the recipient. Is that correct? Could you show one example of a GO entry with the serial number? I have not seen this before. Perhaps I am misunderstanding how you did this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

emccomas - file looks great. How did you convert the file and make it small enough to post? I need to learn how to do that.

 

pchepurko - I copied the info from the GOs. I'm attaching two examples of GO entries. The first one is typical of Purple Heart GO announcements. The second one is a bit more elaborate in the announcement and not indicative at all of a "normal" GO Purple Heart announcement.

The first GO has the number hand written, the second one is typed. It seems to be fairly even as to whether the number is written or typed.

 

Kevin

 

post-2757-0-20964400-1416535032.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Swag, Thank you and that is fantastic! I am sure it was a great amount of work and you are fully justified for charging a few dollars for research. I will certainly take advantage of this if the opportunity arises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really a nice piece of work. Do you have much for the earlier (ie WW1) issued Purple Hearts. I have one #ed 2910 for instance

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the first two on the list (in the sixtythousand range) are WW1 awards.

 

All others are WW2 and i presume a few 400, 000+ are later conflicts.

 

And indeed swag, a very nice piece of work you did.

 

 

Herman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is an excellent thead. Thank you for posting. Sadly mine is not on here, hopefully in the future there will be a list for 2nd awards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, the first two on the list (in the sixtythousand range) are WW1 awards.

 

Herman

 

Ahhh, you are correct, thank you Hermanus. Both of those are typos. Number "63610" should be "93610." Number "68531" seems to be a mystery, the GO information is not in my database so it might have been a completely erroneous entry from the get go. I apologize for these errors, it was bound to happen when working so many numbers.

I'm going to have to do a double and triple check on the Silver Star list I'm working on before posting it.

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Medalman90 - I did record some 2nd awards but I soon stopped recording them in the interest of capturing the numbers. PM or email me his name and I'll see if he's one of the 62 2nd awardees on my list.

 

Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A worthwhile project, and I think it is worth the effort to resolve the issues with the pdf so everyone can see if.

 

I saved the excel file that you sent me as a pdf, and also added the explanation about the meaning of the asterisk.

 

How does this pdf file look....

 

 

Thank you sir! This one is perfect!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

this week I just gave him a number for a Purple Heart medal and he was able to get me the General Order , name and unit that the medal was awarded to. Very please and hope I can find another numbered heart from his list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...