The Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) is a congressionally charteredbr>(Title 36 USC Chapter 1405)
United States war veterans organization. Headquartered just outside Washington, D.C., it has a membership of approximately 45,300 veterans. It is unique in that its members are exclusively men and women who have received the

Purple Heart 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. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

award while serving as a member of the U.S. Military.

Mission

The MOPH's stated mission is "to foster an environment of goodwill and camaraderie among combat wounded veterans, promote patriotism, support necessary legislative initiatives, and most importantly, provide service to all veterans and their families."

National programs

Service Program

The MOPH Service Program exists to assist all U.S. Military veterans (to include members as well as nonmembers) in working with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and filing claims for benefits.

Youth Activities Program

The MOPH's Youth Activities Program is designed to instill the values of patriotism and good citizenry among America's youth. This includes recognizing outstanding

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...

and

JROTC The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a Federal government of the United States, federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools acr ...

leaders in the U.S. and

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

dependent schools globally.

Veterans Affairs Volunteer Service Program

The Military Order of the Purple Heart's Veterans Affairs Volunteer Service (VAVS) Program operates the largest volunteer system in the U.S. Federal Government. VAVS works with the VA to supplement resources for the care, treatment and welfare of veteran patients.

Scholarship Program

The MOPH Scholarship Program is designed to provide monetary assistance for college to applicants who are either: * a current MOPH member, * an immediate relative of a current MOPH member, or * an immediate relative of a service member who died either in battle or from wounds sustained in battle. In addition, the members must: * be a graduate or senior-year student of an accredited high school, or a full-time undergraduate student at a U.S. college, university, or trade school; * hold at least a 2.75 GPA on an unweighted 4.0 scale; and * be a U.S. citizen.

Americanism Program

The Americanism Program of the MOPH works with schools and outside organizations to "promote U.S. history and the quest for freedom", and is administered by the MOPH National Americanism Officer.

Purple Heart Trail

The Purple Heart Trail system, established by the MOPH in 1992, is purposed to "create a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges, and other monuments that give tribute to the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal." The program places, where legislation is passed, signs designed to remind motorists of the freedom of their country, and of those who have paid to keep it that way. The program designates bridges, sections of highways, and other roads as part of the trail. It forms noncontinuous paths and is present in 45 states and the territory of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

First Responder Program

The purpose of MOPH's First Responder Program is to honor police officers and firefighters who are killed or wounded in the line of duty. These people are honored by the creation of a

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

Purple Heart Family

Military Order of the Purple Heart Auxiliary

The Military Order of the Purple Heart Auxiliary (MOPHA) is a sister organization of the MOPH. Its members include parents, spouses, children, widowed stepchildren, grandchildren and legally adopted children, lineal descendants of Purple Heart recipients, who may or may not be MOPH members themselves. It functions as a separate organization from the MOPH, but shares the same goals and mission.

Service Foundation

The Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation is the fundraising engine of the MOPH. Its stated purpose and objectives are: * To raise funds for service, welfare, and rehabilitation work in connection with the members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. (a congressionally chartered veterans organization), those who are eligible for membership therein, or any wounded, disabled and/or handicapped veteran, his widow, orphan or survivors. * For the support and maintenance of liaison services in any or all offices of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, soldier's homes or other administration of veteran's affairs wherever and whenever deemed necessary. * For the support and maintenance of legislative service to advise and confer with the executive offices or bureaus and departments of the United States Government and Congressional committees or their members on any matters of interest and importance to disabled ex servicemen and women and particularly such matters as may properly be the subject of legislation. * To contribute such funds to the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. or to independently assist in providing such services as outlined above.

Controversies

In 2007, the MOPH Service Foundation was rated "F" by the

American Institute of Philanthropy CharityWatch, formerly known as the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Chicago, created in the United States by Daniel Borochoff in 1992, to provide information about charities' financial efficiency ...

(AIP) because only 32% of money raised for the organization went to charity programs. The

Charity Navigator Charity Navigator is a charity assessment organization that evaluates hundreds of thousands of charitable organizations based in the United States, operating as a free 501(c)(3) organization. It provides insights into a nonprofit’s financial ...

gave the MOPH a 0-star overall rating, a 0-star financial rating and a 3-star accountability and transparency rating for the 2018 fiscal year. Also in 2007, executive director Richard Esau was fired from the Service Foundation after an audit showed money spent on possible conflict of interest projects. Money was donated to the Intrepid Museum in New York City shortly before the museum hired the daughter of a member of the Foundation's board of directors. The Foundation gave $100,000 to the

Marine Corps Reserve Officers Association Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

, where Esau had once worked and his wife still worked. In 2010, Ret. Col. Henry Cook III sued the MOPH, saying he was wrongfully dismissed from his post as National Commander. In an

affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or '' deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by law. Such a stateme ...

submitted, Cook says his removal was "for my exposing of the mismanagement of funds and grants of "Purple Heart Dollars" on national television." The MOPH responded, "We absolutely disagree with Mr. Cook's allegations in the lawsuit, and we also disagree with Mr. Cook's effort to 'try' his case in the media. We will not otherwise comment on pending litigation, but rather will let this matter run its course through the court system." The case was dismissed in June 2011.