All MilitaryVetsPX.com Military Medals and ribbons are approved by the United States Government. The first United States Military Decoration was the Badge of Military Merit, established by General George Washington on August 7th, 1782. It consisted of a piece of cloth in the form of a heart and was intended to recognize servicemen who displayed unusual gallantry or extraordinary fidelity. Only three are known to have been awarded, the award fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War. General Douglas MacArthur revived the Military Badge of Merit as the Purple Heart Medal in 1932. Since the Revolutionary War, many United States Military Medals and Decorations have evolved.