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Many Push for U.S. Purple Heart Stamp

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is the latest Member of Congress pushing for a Purple Heart stamp in honor of wounded war veterans who have received the award.

In a letter to the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee, which met in mid-July, Schumer said last year's terrorist attacks underscored the need for such a stamp.

The sample letter to CSAC chairwoman Virginia Noelke on Schumer's website (www.senate.gov/~schumer ) adds that 'as a result of the renewed sense of patriotism and commitment to our country, a stamp commemorating the Purple Heart would be extremely popular throughout the nation.'

Schumer was one of the forces behind the recent Heroes of 2001 semipostal.

In 1982, the USPS issued a 20¢ Purple Heart stamped envelope, the design of which is shown above. However, that isn't enough for proponents of a letter-rate commemorative, who apparently feel that a stamp would have much higher recognition and be more frequently used.

The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration in the world still in use and the first made generally available to common soldiers. It was created by Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces wounded by the enemy, and awarded posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action.

It has been awarded to approximately 1.8 million American veterans, of whom an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 recipients are alive today.