Purple Heart and Friendly Fire

Question:

I came across a Vietnam Veteran that was shot six times (All at once) from friendly fire. He never received a Purple Heart from this incident because no enemy interaction was taking place. Do you know of any like this has been overturned and was awarded the Purple Heart?

Jim's Reply:

The Purple Heart is generally awarded for injuries resulting from direct enemy action or engagement. The Purple Heart may be awarded for injuries that occur from friendly fire while an enemy is engaged. The term "friendly fire" is most often used to describe a situation, usually in intense combat, where one may be accidentally injured by weapons deployed your fellow soldiers against enemy forces. I'm having a hard time understanding how your friend may have been shot 6 times by friendly fire if there were no enemy engagement? An accidental gunshot wound while cleaning weapons is a far cry from 6 gunshot wounds. That sounds more like an assault than friendly fire.


Source URL: https://www.statesidelegal.org/purple-heart-and-friendly-fire-0