August 7, 2026 set as National Purple Heart Day to honor wounded service members

What happened

• The President issued a proclamation dated August 6, 2026, declaring August 7, 2026, as National Purple Heart Day.

Who it affects

• Service members who received the Purple Heart for wounds or death in combat, their families, and veterans generally.

What the proclamation asks

• It calls on all Americans to observe the day by honoring the courage and sacrifice of Purple Heart recipients and expressing gratitude to veterans.

Administration actions cited in the release

• The proclamation states the Administration rebuilt the military and achieved record recruitment numbers.
• It says the Department of Veterans Affairs processing backlog was reduced by more than 74 percent since the President returned to office.
• It mentions opening new veteran health clinics, efforts to end veteran homelessness, and ending taxes on Social Security for senior veterans.

Why it matters

• The day is meant to publicly recognize combat-wounded and fallen service members and to spotlight veteran services and policy priorities described in the proclamation.