17,000 Ex-POWs Could Get Purple Heart

WASHINGTON - An estimated 17,000 deceased U.S. prisoners of war could be awarded Purple Hearts under a new Defense Department policy announced Oct. 6.

Purple Hearts are awarded to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines wounded by enemy action. The medals have been denied in the past to POWs who died in captivity if it could not be proven they had been wounded or killed by the enemy.

The revised policy the Pentagon announced presumes such deaths were the result of enemy action unless compelling evidence is presented to the contrary.

The new policy is retroactive to Dec. 7, 1941, the Defense Department said in a statement. That is the day Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and brought the United States into World War II.

Posthumous awards can be made to a family member or other representative of the deceased service member. Each branch of the military will announce its process for applying for the awards.

Congress had requested that the Pentagon review its Purple Heart policy.