Survey: Should Purple Heart Winners get higher VA priority status?
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Americans Killed-in-Action

Should Purple Heart Recipients
Receive Higher VA priority Staus?

Topic: The Purple Heart is awarded to servicepersonnel injured as a result of enemy activity. Unfortunately, some servicepersonnel received the Purple Heart for other reasons... to include, self-inflicted wounds, accidents, friendly-fire, violent assault by another American, and other non-combat situations.

Because the Purple Heart's image has been "tarnished" by sometimes fraudulent or mistaken delivery, valid Purple Heart recipients have not received the respect they feel they earned having been wounded as a result of enemy activity.

To restore the respect and dignity Purple Heart recipients feel they should receive, several efforts are currently underway to upgrade their VA Priority Status to the same level as former Prisoners of War.

Some veterans oppose this effort. Opponents argue that designing a "combat service" tier for arranging VA priority status will place combat support personnel at the "bottom of the Totem pole" for VA benefits and services. These opponents argue that raising the VA priority status Purple Heart receipients will lower non-wounded veterans to the point of "excluding them entirely from VA priority status" should their finanacial hardship force them to seek VA medical services.

What is your opinion?

Should Purple Heart recipients be granted VA priority status on the same level as prisoners of war and service connected disabilities?

Yes No

Should a veteran who knowingly did not receive the Purple Heart for enemy-caused injury voluntarily return his Purple Heart to the Commander in Chief, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs or Secretary of Defense?

Yes No

Do you feel raising Purple Heart recipients to the same VA priority status level as prisoners of war will somehow lower the status of non-combat injured or non-military service connected injured or ill veterans?

Yes No

Do you feel a stronger policy regarding the issuance of the Purple Heart to prevent future abuses be enacted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs?

Yes No

And please note my comment...

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REFERENCES:

  • House Sponsor for Raising VA Priority Status for Purple Heart Recipients
  • Purple Heart Registry
  • Military Medals Resource Guide

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