Posted by
Defend America on Friday, August 07, 2009 8:39:00 AM
August 7,
1782
Washington creates the Purple Heart
At
his headquarters in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the
commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the "Badge for
Military Merit," a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped
piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit
stitched across the face in silver. The badge was to be presented to
soldiers for "any singularly meritorious action" and permitted its
wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge. The honoree's
name and regiment were also to be inscribed in a "Book of Merit."
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5239
1789 - The
U.S. War Department was established by the U.S. Congress.
August 7,
1912
Teddy Roosevelt nominated as Bull Moose candidate
Theodore
Roosevelt, the former U.S. president, is nominated for the presidency
by the Progressive Party, a group of Republicans dissatisfied with the
renomination of President William Howard Taft. Also known as the Bull
Moose Party, the Progressive platform called for the direct election of
U.S. senators, woman suffrage, reduction of the tariff, and many social
reforms. Roosevelt, who served as the 26th president of the United
States from 1901 to 1909, embarked on a vigorous campaign as the
party's presidential candidate. A key point of his platform was the
"Square Deal"--Roosevelt's concept of a society based on fair business
competition and increased welfare for needy Americans.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5240
August 7,
1942
U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal
On
this day in 1942, the U.S. 1st Marine Division begins Operation
Watchtower, the first U.S. offensive of the war, by landing on
Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6543
August 7,
1964
Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
The
United States Congress overwhelming approves the Gulf of Tonkin
Resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson nearly unlimited powers
to oppose "communist aggression" in Southeast Asia. The resolution
marked the beginning of an expanded military role for the United States
in the Cold War battlefields of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=2752
August 7,
1990
Bush orders Operation Desert Shield
On
this day in 1990, President George Herbert Walker Bush orders the
organization of Operation Desert Shield in response to Iraq’s invasion
of Kuwait on August 2. The order prepared American troops to become
part of an international coalition in the war against Iraq that would
be launched as Operation Desert Storm in January 1991. To support
Operation Desert Shield, Bush authorized a dramatic increase in U.S.
troops and resources in the Persian Gulf.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=50718