PURPLE HEART REMEMBRANCE
Origins of the Purple Heart Medal
By Stephan Drew, Editor
The Purple Heart award stands as a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and resilience. For over two centuries, this prestigious military decoration has been presented to those who have been wounded or killed in action while serving their country. It holds a storied history that reflects the trials and triumphs of American soldiers and their unwavering commitment to protect their nation. This article delves into the origins, evolution, and significance of the Purple Heart award, chronicling the bravery and selflessness of those who have earned this esteemed distinction.
The genesis of the Purple Heart award can be traced back to the American Revolutionary War. On August 7, 1782, General George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, established the Badge of Military Merit. This award was intended to honor enlisted soldiers who displayed exceptional bravery and meritorious conduct in combat. The badge, designed in the shape of a heart, was made of purple cloth, and recipients were granted permission to wear it on their uniforms.
Despite the valorous intentions, the Badge of Military Merit was short-lived, and after the Revolutionary War, it gradually faded into obscurity. However, its significance and spirit would be revived decades later.
It wasn’t until 1931, on the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, that the United States Army reintroduced the Badge of Military Merit. General Douglas MacArthur, then Army Chief of Staff, led the effort to revive this distinguished honor to recognize soldiers’ extraordinary courage and sacrifices. The new award retained the heart shape and purple color, inspiring the name “Purple Heart.”
In 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that expanded the eligibility criteria for the Purple Heart award. Initially, it was only awarded to Army personnel, but the order extended eligibility to all branches of the military. The Purple Heart was now open to honor the sacrifices of sailors, airmen, and Marines, further solidifying its role as a symbol of courage across the entire Armed Forces.
The design of the Purple Heart has undergone several changes over the years. In 1932, the original purple cloth and heart shape were replaced with a metal medal featuring a bust of George Washington and his coat of arms. However, in 1945, the design was updated again, this time displaying a more realistic representation of Washington. The words “For Military Merit” encircled his profile, a nod to the award’s historical origins.
The Vietnam War left an indelible mark on the history of the Purple Heart award. Throughout the conflict, the medal was awarded to countless servicemen and women who displayed exceptional courage in the face of an unconventional and brutal war. The Vietnam War’s significant impact on Purple Heart recipients showcased the enduring dedication and bravery of American troops amidst challenging and divisive circumstances.
The annals of the Purple Heart are adorned with the names of exceptional individuals who demonstrated exceptional heroism in the line of duty. One of the most decorated recipients is Audie Murphy, a World War II veteran who earned 33 awards and medals, including the Purple Heart. Murphy’s remarkable acts of valor in the face of overwhelming odds have inspired generations of service members.
Another notable recipient is former Senator John McCain, who received the Purple Heart for his extraordinary resilience and courage during his time as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.
The Purple Heart award stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment and bravery of American military personnel throughout history. From its humble origins as the Badge of Military Merit to its current status as a revered medal of honor, the Purple Heart represents the selflessness and sacrifice of those who have served and continue to serve the United States. As long as there are brave men and women willing to put their lives on the line for their country, the Purple Heart will remain a symbol of courage, valor, and sacrifice for generations to come.
This week, we decided to honor some of those brave Purple Heart recipients from Darlington County:
Samuel Dixon as a young man. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Samuel Dixon: ‘You had to fight everything’
When Samuel Dixon of Darlington landed in Vietnam in 1967 when he was 19 year old, it was the sheer scale of the jungle that hit him hardest.
“It was a jungle!” recalls Dixon, 72. “And everything in there was against you. Even the animals. You had to fight everything.”
“For a young man who just left home … it was something I never experienced in my life before,” said Dixon, who had nine siblings back home. “To survive, you had to go along with the program.”
Dixon was in the Army Infantry in “The Big Red One,” 1st and 2nd divisions. He’d been drafted, and except for basic training at Fort Jackson, had no military experience. On July 17, 1967, he was wounded when a Claymore mine exploded.
“They had it buried in the sand, buried in an anthill” – one of the giant, several-foot-high anthills that peppered the jungle. “I got shrapnel all over my (left) hand.”
A firefight followed – a “U-shaped ambush” – and about eight men in Dixon’s platoon were killed. Dixon wound up having to walk 15 miles out of the combat zone. Dixon said he still wears his Purple Heart on a chain around his neck. “Only two (kinds of) people get a Purple Heart – a dead one and a survivor.”
Recalling the war, Dixon said: “What got me is that we fought, then I came back home, and nothing had changed. Couldn’t find jobs. They called us baby-killers. I couldn’t wear my uniform home. I had to buy civilian clothes.”
Gerald Tanner. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Gerald Tanner: ‘They had me back in the field in a month’
When Gerald Tanner of Hartsville arrived in Vietnam in 1969 at age 19, he felt lonely.
“It was just being lonely, being away from your family, not knowing anybody,” said Tanner, a Charlotte native who moved to Darlington County about 10 years ago. “There’s all kinds of things that went through your head. It’s kind of hard to explain.”
Tanner, 70, said he joined the Army at 18: “I wasn’t college material. At that time there wasn’t that many jobs available, and I wanted to serve my country.”
It was a 1970 firefight that caused the wounds that led to Tanner’s Purple Heart. “I got shot in the leg,” said Tanner, who was serving as a platoon sergeant at the time. “And a mortar round went off in a bunker hole; I had shrapnel all over my body.”
But the Army needed him back on his feet as soon as possible. “They had me back in the field in a month,” said Tanner.
He received no more direct wounds during the 13 months he spent in Vietnam, but Tanner said he was exposed to Agent Orange, which caused long-term harm. But he feared he wouldn’t make it through what turned out to be his last day in Vietnam. The bunker next to his was overrun and all the U.S. troops inside it were killed.
Tanner said he’s proud that he served his country and said he would sign up again today if he could. But, he added, “Nobody knows what the war was about. We didn’t ask for it. … I thought it was useless. I think all wars are useless.”
Cecil H. Dutton Sr. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Cecil Henry Dutton, Sr.: Remembered for his service
Cecil Henry Dutton Sr., of Darlington, was awarded the Purple Heart in 1964, having been wounded in Vietnam. He was in the Army for 22 years while serving tours in Korea, Japan, France and Vietnam. He was married to Shelda Beasley Dutton; they have four children, Crystal Stokes of Hartsville, Kimberly Smith of North Carolina, Cecil Dutton Jr., of Hartsville and Dennis Dutton of Darlington. They also have three grandchildren, Laurent Smith of Woodstock, Ga., Ashley Stokes Jung of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Tyler Smith of North Carolina.
James Chandler receiving his Purple Heart. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
James Chandler: ‘A man of great strength’
Maj. James E. Chandler of Darlington was wounded in September 1966 while serving in Vietnam with the Marine Corps’ 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division, from February 1964 to January 1967, his family said.
He was awarded a Purple Heart for that injury, but it was only part of a military career that spanned 30 years.
After returning to Darlington, Chandler enlisted in the S.C. Army National Guard with the 163rd Support Battalion, Company B. He graduated from the S.C. National Guard OCS program and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant, his family said. He later transferred to Orangeburg, where he served as commander of the 218th Infantry Brigade, 163rd Support Battalion Company D.
Chandler died in 2020 from lung cancer directly related to his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. A friend remarked, “So in the end, Jimmy gave his life for his country.”
Chandler’s family remembers him as “a man of great strength who fought valiantly for the country he dearly loved.”
Darren Byrd. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Darren Byrd: ‘You could hear the rounds buzzing by your ears’
Darren Byrd of Darlington said he joined the Army in 2004, when he was 23 years old, because “I didn’t want to be 43, 44, look back, and wish I had done it.”
He did 15 months in Afghanistan, and on May 3, 2005, near the town of Arghandab, he took part in the battle for which he received a Purple Heart.
A scout team was coming under fire, said Byrd, now 39 and a security guard at the H.B. Robinson nuclear plant in Hartsville. His platoon and another platoon charged out to help and found themselves in a major firefight.
“There were enemy combatants all in the valley, the mountains, they were everywhere,” said Byrd. A team leader, a huge man, had stepped on a mine, and Byrd helped carry him a mile to get help.
“You could hear the rounds buzzing by your ears,” Byrd said. He got shot in the hand, “wrapped it up” and kept going. “It was about a 15-hour fight,” Byrd said. He estimates 105 enemy combatants were killed before it was over.
The hand wound for which he received a Purple Heart “wasn’t that bad,” he said. “Not compared to some of the other guys.”
Roosevelt Wallace, CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Roosevelt Wallace: ‘We had firefights from 12 o’clock at night to daybreak’
Roosevelt Wallace of Darlington suffered two wounds in Vietnam when he was 21 years old. The first was the worst.
It was 1968 and he was in the Army Infantry. “We were going to set up an ambush, and we got ambushed,” recalled Wallace, 72, who describes himself as a lifelong Darlington resident.
“There were eight of us in that squad, and they hit six of us,” Wallace said. “Nobody got killed.” Wallace was hit in the neck – what could have been a fatal wound. He had to wait 11 or 12 hours to be airlifted off the battlefield. “I bled a lot,” he said. “I lost consciousness.”
The Army sent him to Japan to recover. That was Purple Heart No. 1 for Wallace, in the fall of 1968. The second was in 1969, when, back in action, Wallace and 75 to 100 U.S. troops were attacked by “waves” of enemy regulars.
Wallace said they were outnumbered at least 2-1. “We had firefights from 12 o’clock at night to daybreak. … I got it in the arm that time.” That was Purple Heart No. 2. In addition to those honors, Wallace also holds a Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters and other citations.
Wallace said the war is a complicated thing to talk about. “It wasn’t a war we were sent there to win. That’s what makes it complicated.”
Jimmy Flowers as a young man. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Jimmy Flowers: ‘You were glad to get back home’
Jimmy Flowers, 69, said he has spent virtually his entire life in Darlington, but it was in Vietnam that he suffered the wounds for which he received two Purple Hearts.
Flowers was drafted into the Army Infantry when he was 19, and spent a year as an infantryman in Vietnam. He arrived there in September 1970.
Not very long after turning 20, he suffered two battle wounds in 1971. In one case, he was shot in the leg. In the other, he was hit by shrapnel from a fragmentation grenade.
“It’s nothing that has really interfered with me over my lifetime,” Flowers said of the wounds.
The war “was a learning experience for anybody who went through it,” he said.
“ …A lot of people clam up and won’t talk about it. … You were glad to get back home” at the end of your tour. Flowers said he would spend 30-40 days at a stretch in the jungle, sleeping on the ground at night and plowing through dense foliage during the day.
“It was a paranoid (experience), 365 days,” he said. “You were the one getting shot at.” Flowers also was awarded two Bronze Stars, among other citations.
Danny Weaver. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Franklin David “Danny” Weaver Jr.
Franklin David “Danny” Weaver Jr. of Darlington, who died July 26, 2021, at the age of 80, was at the front of the effort to raise money to build the Veterans Memorial Park, at the Public Square in Darlington, which was dedicated in 2014.
“Danny stayed with it through and through, through and through,” said Mike Beckham of American Legion Post 13.
“He jumped on board 100 percent-plus to get this park going,” said Beckham. “It was kind of his baby. I think he was probably the key player who kept (the effort) alive.”
Beckham said educator Jane Lloyd and Weaver came up with the idea for the park about 2012 and formed a committee to raise funds to build it on the Public Square on the site where a store had burned down.
A 1959 graduate of then- St. John’s High School, Weaver joined the Navy and later the S.C. Army National Guard, where he served as a medic aboard helicopters. He worked “for many years” for ESAB Welding and Cutting Products, later helping start DSI Metals Inc. of Florence.
