While the nation paused to honor its combat-wounded soldiers on National Purple Heart Day, few realized that the medal’s origins trace back to Long Island.
The story begins in November 1780, when Major Benjamin Tallmadge led a daring raid against the British-held Fort St. George in Mastic. The fortified manor, captured from Col. William “Tangier” Smith, had been turned into a stronghold for British and Loyalist troops—but not for long. Tallmadge’s force of Continental Dragoons crossed Long Island Sound from Connecticut, marched across the island under the cover of darkness, and stormed the fort at dawn.
The assault was swift and decisive. Dozens of enemy troops were captured, supplies destroyed, and Tallmadge turned the enemy’s own guns on Red Coat warships anchored in Bellport Bay. Only one American, Sgt. Elijah Churchill of the 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons, was wounded. For his gallantry, General George Washington awarded him the newly created Badge of Military Merit, a heart-shaped purple cloth patch. The decoration was bestowed by the future president for “unusual gallantry, extraordinary fidelity, and essential service.” The medal as we know it today was officially created by Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the War Department in 1932.
After retaking the Manor of St. George, Tallmadge’s men marched their prisoners back across Long Island, making a stop in Coram, where they set ablaze a massive British hay reserve, crippling their cavalry operations.
President Trump marked the August 7 occasion with a proclamation declaring National Purple Heart Day and a White House reception honoring nearly 100 medal recipients. “The Purple Heart is an award neither pursued nor won, but one bestowed as a symbol of the sacrifices manifested in bloodshed, broken bodies, and perished souls,” Trump noted. He reaffirmed his commitment to a policy of “peace through strength” and pledged that “the significance of this decoration will never be diminished.”
The East Room ceremony highlighted stories of valor, notably Army Spc. Kevin Jensen, who was severely wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, but heroically rescued fellow Capt. Sam Brown from the flames. In attendance were senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Veterans Administration Secretary Doug Collins, and Gen. Daniel Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who goes by the moniker “Raisin Cane.”
The President extended special recognition to three veterans—Thomas Matteo, Gerald Enter, Jr., and John Ford, a three-time Purple Heart recipient, who had sent him their own medals following the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Local history advocates, including the Tri-Hamlet 250 Committee, plan to spotlight Tallmadge’s raid and Long Island’s place in the birth of the Purple Heart during the nation’s Semiquincentennial celebrations in 2026. Events will include living-history reenactments, educational programs, and tours of the Manor and other areas of historic interest, including the estate of William Floyd, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the grave of Patriot Nathaniel Woodhull.
“People know the Purple Heart as a national symbol of sacrifice,” said 250 Committee Leader Bill Doyle, “but few realize that its first recipient earned it right here in our community.”