The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New York's Hudson River Valley honors the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart. The location of the Hall of Honor on the same grounds as the New Windsor Cantonment, commemorates the awarding of the Purple Heart to 138 World War I veterans in 1932.

The Purple Heart is given only to those who have been killed or wounded in combat, and is America's oldest military decoration. The Hall of Honor is the first in the nation dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of the more than 1.7 million recipients of this award.

The mission of the Hall of Honor is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across generations in an attempt to ensure that all recipients are represented. One way their history is preserved and shared, is through the Roll of Honor, an electronic database where visitors can search for Purple Heart recipients by name, conflict or even battle. There are currently 148,000 names enrolled here at the Hall, and visitors who are recipients, or know of recipients are encouraged to enroll in the Roll of Honor. Information on enrollment can be obtained by contacting the site.

In addition to the Roll of Honor, there are exhibits chronicling the experiences of recipients and three interactive drums where visitors can watch videotaped interviews of recipients who are describing experiences. A video, "For military Merit" provides visitors with the history and significance of the Purple Heart.

Special programs throughout the year highlight the experiences and sacrifices that have been made by the men and women of America's military.

For more information or to enroll a Purple Heart recipient please call the site. Visit our website: The Purple Heart