U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) led a bipartisan group of Pennsylvania congressmen in urging the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to list Purple Heart recipients on its valor awards website.
“By listing Purple Heart recipients on the Department of Defense’s valor awards website, we continue the time-honored tradition of recognizing these brave men and women and ensuring they have access to the resources they need from veteran service organizations,” said Rep. Reschenthaler, a U.S. Navy veteran.
The DOD valor awards website was created during the Obama Administration to recognize United States warfighters awarded the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, and Silver Star for acts of valor, and to help reduce the number of incidents of those fraudulently claiming to have received certain awards of valor.
“Unfortunately, fraud is still occurring by individuals claiming to be recipients of the PH [Purple Heart],” wrote Rep. Reschenthaler and his colleagues in a May 28 letter sent to DOD Secretary Lloyd J. Austin.
“In addition, in the absence of a PH database, veteran service organizations struggle to identify individuals most in need of their resources. Many organizations supporting this effort do so with the intention of improving services for PH recipients,” Rep. Reschenthaler and his colleagues U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Conor Lamb (D-PA), and Mike Doyle (D-PA) wrote.
“It is with these efforts in mind that we respectfully request you list recipients, particularly PH recipients who received the award on or after September 11, 2001, on the valor awards website,” wrote the members.
Their letter has been endorsed by the National Flag Foundation and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.