Military Order of the Purple Heart Salutes Introduction of HR 6234 by Rep. Paul Cook
October 01 2016 - 3:08PM
Business Wire
The Military Order of the Purple Heart is proud to salute U.S.
Representative Paul Cook, (R-CA-8), for his introduction of HR
6234, the “Private Corrado Piccoli Purple Heart Preservation Act,”
and encourages other members of the House of Representatives to
support and join as co-sponsors of this Bill. Representative Cook,
himself a two-time Purple Heart recipient, serves on the Natural
Resources, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs Committees. He
formerly served as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and
retired after 26 years as a Colonel.
If enacted into law, this Bill would prohibit the sale of any
Purple Heart Medal, America’s oldest military decoration,
established originally by General George Washington as the Badge of
Merit during the Revolutionary War. The Purple Heart Medal is
presented only to those who have been wounded or killed in action
on the battlefield, or by an act of international terrorism. It may
be presented to the next of kin in honor of the service member who
is killed in action against an enemy of the United States.
HR 6234 is named for Private Corrado Piccoli, a WWII Infantryman
killed in action in 1944. A Purple Heart Medal accompanied the
telegram informing Private Piccoli’s family of his death and sadly,
years later and after his parents’ passing, the medal was lost.
Private Piccoli’s Purple Heart Medal was discovered in an antique
store, and was given to Major Zachariah Fike, founder of “Purple
Hearts Reunited,” a non-profit service organization dedicated to
locating and rescuing these medals from pawn shops, junk stores,
estate sales, and the internet. MAJ Fike returned Piccoli’s Purple
Heart Medal to his family. Since that first “return” Fike has now
returned more than 300 recovered Purple Heart Medals to their
rightful owners or their families.
Unfortunately, the profiteering actions of military collectors
make this task difficult as medals find their way onto the market
and away from their rightful places of honor. Medals engraved with
the names of those killed in action command the highest prices.
MOPH believes that these medals rightfully belong with those
families, as the Purple Heart is often the last tangible item a
family receives in memory of their deceased loved one.
Passage of HR 6234 would prevent merchants from profiteering
from the sale of military-issued Purple Hearts, eliminating the
market and making it easier to return them to their rightful
owners; it would not prevent the sale of replacement
medals through authorized sellers. Speaking on behalf of the
Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Commander Hershel
Gober stated, "Purple Hearts that are lost or stolen belong with
veterans and their survivors, period; not floating around on
the collectors' market. We applaud Congressman Cook and thank him
for his leadership on this important issue."
The "Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. Inc.,"
(MOPH) was formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual interest of
all combat wounded veterans and active duty men and women who have
received the decoration. Chartered by the Congress, The MOPH is
unique among Veteran Service Organizations in that all its members
were wounded in combat. For this sacrifice, they were awarded the
Purple Heart Medal. With grants from the MOPH Service Foundation,
the MOPH and its Ladies Auxiliary promote Patriotism, Fraternalism,
and the Preservation of America's military history. Most
importantly, through veteran service, they provide comfort and
assistance to all Veterans and their families, especially those
requiring claims assistance with the VA. Programs of the MOPH
include VA Volunteer Service, JROTC Leadership Awards,
Scholarships, Americanism, Purple Heart Trail and Cities, Suicide
Awareness, Welfare, and numerous community service programs, all
with the objective of service to Veterans and their families.
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The Military Order of the Purple HeartJohn Bircher,
352-753-5535National Public Relations
DirectorPublicRelations@Purpleheart.orgMOPH on the WebMOPH
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