Eighty years ago this week, the war in the Pacific was drawing ever closer to the Japanese homeland. The Battle of Okinawa had already resulted in a staggering 35% casualty rate, and estimates for a full-scale invasion of Japan were grim. Early plans for the invasion of Kyushu, known as Operation Olympic, projected 94,250 battle casualties and another 12,600 from disease and accidents—totaling 106,850. Later projections, which included multiple landings, estimated more than 250,000 U.S. casualties.

Each of those anticipated casualties would have received a Purple Heart, the U.S. military decoration awarded for wounds or death in combat. In preparation, over 1.5 million Purple Hearts were produced during WWII, with many entering production as invasion estimates came in.

With the atomic bombings of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, followed by Japan’s announcement of surrender on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day), the planned invasion never took place. As a result, 495,000 Purple Hearts remained in surplus.

This original stockpile was used for decades in subsequent wars and military actions—and remarkably, as of 2020, the United States was still awarding Purple Hearts from that very production run of WWII.

Because of this, many veterans who received a Purple Heart after WWII may still hold medals forged over eight decades ago.

In honor of this legacy, the American Heritage Museum invites all Purple Heart recipients—and those who hold one in memory of a loved one—to join us on Sunday, August 17, during our WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend, for a special commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII.

All who bring a Purple Heart—whether earned in service or held in remembrance—will be admitted free to the event all day on Sunday. At 12:00 p.m., we will hold a brief ceremony followed by a mass group photo of all attending Purple Heart holders. Purple Heart holders are requested to bring the medal or service ribbon with them and present it at the admissions gate on the road as you enter for proof of entry.

For more details, please visit the event listing for the WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend at the American Heritage Museum, August 16–17.