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I have the utmost respect for anyone that genuinely earned a Purple Heart, however, things are not always as they seem.

I was with the 101st in Phu Bai aug 70-aug71 and was stationed in a base camp. One night as mortars were coming in, a couple of new guys were running for the bunker and one ran over an engineer stake and cut his leg and another didn't duck low enough when he ran into the bunker and busted his head.

Yep, both got a Purple Heart for injuries received during hostile enemy action.

I know lots more that were injured badly and fully deserved the Purple Heart, but some awards were completely without merit. Sure would love to be a fly on the wall and hear the war stories these guys tell about how they "earned" their Purple Heart.

Correct...My brother "won" a Purple Heart by paying the full price, never came back. An uncle fell out of a truck and busted his wrist while drunk during a Jap raid. Purple Heart and a partial disability pension for life.

All Purple Hearts are not equal.