Purple Heart – Maj Gen Ulio
Purple Heart letter from the War Department, Major General J.A. Ulio. Letter describes a brief history, how it is awarded and how it is worn. Interesting that this this letter is dated three weeks before D-Day.
From July 1943, the 29th Infantry Division was commanded by Major General Charles H. Gerhardt. The division had such a high casualty rate that it was said that Gerhardt actually commanded three divisions: one on the field of battle, one in the hospital and one in the cemetery. The 29th Infantry Division lost 3,887 killed in action, 15,541 wounded in action, 347 missing in action, 845 prisoners of war, in addition to 8,665 non-combat casualties, during 242 days of combat. This amounted to over 200 percent of the division’s normal strength.