Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster General, was named to redesign the newly revived medal, which became known as the Purple Heart. On 7 January 1931, Summerall's successor, General Douglas MacArthur, confidentially reopened work on a new design, involving the Washington Commission of Fine Arts. A number of private interests sought to have the medal re-instituted in the Army this included the board of directors of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum in Ticonderoga, New York. The bill was withdrawn and action on the case ceased on 3 January 1928, but the office of the Adjutant General was instructed to file all materials collected for possible future use. On 10 October 1927, Army Chief of Staff General Charles Pelot Summerall directed that a draft bill be sent to Congress 'to revive the Badge of Military Merit'. Although never abolished, the award of the badge was not proposed again officially until after World War I. Washington authorized his subordinate officers to issue Badges of Merit as appropriate.

The Badge of Military Merit was only awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers by Washington himself. The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army – by order from his Newburgh, New York, headquarters on 7 August 1782. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, which took the form of a heart made of purple cloth, the Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. The Purple Heart ( PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S.

Blue purple heart meaning