Dear Companions,
The Rhode Island Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars, will be sponsoring, coordinating and executing a project to place a monument for the Purple Heart in the RI Veterans Cemetery. This will be a legacy project as we celebrate America’s 250th. There is a tie-in to our country’s founding. In 1782, George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit (shown below). This is considered to be the oldest American military decoration and the precursor to the Purple Heart.