National day calendar

Today is national Purple Heart, raspberries n' cream, sea serpent and lighthouse day. George Washington created the Badge of Merit in 1782. He intended the honor to be presented to soldier for "any singularly meritous action". The design included a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk bound with a thin edge of silver and the word Merit embroidered in silver across the face. Until Washington's 200th birthday, the Purple Heart was a Revolutionary War footnote. General Douglas MacArthur got the US War Department to create the Order of the Purple Heart. It's the oldest US military honor still bestowed on service members today. In 1944, the requirements were changed to limit the award to only those wounded or killed in combat. It now bears a bust of George Washington and his coat of arms.

Army General Douglas MacArthur received the first modern-day Purple Heart. Army Lt. Annie G. Fox was the first woman to receive a Purple Heart during WWII.