Senator David Perdue posthumously presents the Purple Heart to the family of 1LT Franklyn Lewis Snyder
Senator David Perdue is leading the effort in the Senate to protect the Purple Heart and stop second-hand dealers from profiting on the sacrifices of America’s war heroes.
“Many Purple Heart medals are lost and stolen from the original recipient or their family members,” said Senator Perdue. “It is our job to preserve the sacrifices made by our servicewomen and men. To do this successfully, we need to stop second-hand parties from selling our veterans’ treasured medals. Frankly, I cannot believe this hasn’t already been done and I will continue to do all I can to honor the many sacrifices our troops have made to protect our freedoms.”
“It’s a great day in Georgia now that Senator David Perdue has sponsored the Purple Heart Preservation Act,” said Doug Middleton, Region IV commander for the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Roswell, Ga.
“The sacrifice and valor represented by the Purple Heart Medal should never be cheapened by being treated as if it were some simple commodity that can be bartered. Recipients of the medal and families of fallen heroes appreciate the stance Senator Perdue has taken to safeguard the significance of our nation’s oldest military decoration.”
“The Purple Heart is our Nation's symbol of military sacrifice,” said Hershel Gober, national commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. “When lost Purple Hearts are recovered, MOPH strongly believes that they should be returned to veterans and families at no cost, not sold for profit on the collectors market. We strongly support the Purple Heart Preservation Act and thank Senator Perdue for his leadership on this issue.”
“The National Military and Veterans Alliance appreciates Senator Perdue's leadership with regard to introducing the Purple Heart Preservation Act,” said Ted Painter, co-director of the National Military and Veterans Alliance (NMVA). “Regrettably, unscrupulous persons have found a profitable market in the buying and selling of our military's oldest award, given when a service member is wounded in combat. This act will make the buying or selling of these time honored awards illegal and the NMVA is proud to support this legislation.”