What is the difference between the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart?

Answer 1

The Bronze Star Medal is an award presented for heroic or meritorious achievement or service not involving participation in aerial flight. The medal is suspended from a red ribbon with a narrow blue stripe down the middle of the ribbon. A Bronze BATTLE Star is worn upon the Campaign Ribbon of the Theater that the veteran served in. Each Bronze BATTLE Star indicates a campaign that the veteran participated in. When the veteran has earned five Bronze BATTLE Stars, the five are replaced by a single Silver BATTLE Star. My father served in six campaigns in the MTO & ETO, so on his ribbon there was a silver & a bronze campaign star. Richard V. Horrell WW 2 Connections.com

Answer 2

The Bronze Star is a medal awarded to military personnel for acts of merit and bravery. The Purple Heart is a medal awarded to military personnel who have been wounded or killed in combat with any enemy against the United States or opposing enemy force.

Answer 3

None. Formally it is the Bronze Star Medal, but the shorthand reference is often "Bronze Star". The Medal may be awarded for valor, OR for "meritorious service". If it is awarded for valor it comes with a metal "V" device to be worn on the ribbon of the Medal, and a smaller one to be worn on the small ribbon worn when the full-sized Medal is not worn.

In WWII soldiers who served overseas got a Medal and ribbon for the theater they served in - the Pacific, the China-Burma-India, or the European-African-Middle Eastern. For each campaign in which they participated while in theater, they were authorized to wear "bronze campaign stars" on the ribbon of the appropriate Medal. These were much smaller, and are often confused with the Bronze Star Medal.

In 1947 the US Army decided that every man who had earned a Combat Infantryman's Badge during WWII was also entitled to the Bronze Star Medal. These awards were for "meritorious service", so, no "V" device.

Answer 4

A bronze star device just denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple engagements in the same campaign. It's an addition to a service medal. The bronze star device would be placed on one of those ribbons if they went to that campaign more than once.

The Bronze Star is a special medal only awarded for actions of valor not just because you served.