- On View
- Military History Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Received by
- Warren, John Earl Jr., American, 1946 - 1969
- Issued by
- United States Army, American, founded 1775
- Date
- March 17 1969
- Medium
- gold and enamel on metal with silk (textile)
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 3 7/16 × 1 7/16 × 5/16 in. (8.8 × 3.6 × 0.7 cm)
- Caption
- 1st Lt. John Earl Warren Jr. served in C Company, 2nd Battalion (Mechanized), 22nd Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions on January 14, 1969, in Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam. Warren led his platoon on a patrol through a rubber plantation. After coming under heavy enemy fire, he led several of his men toward the fire. An enemy grenade landed in the midst of his team, just as Warren was preparing to throw his own. He fell on the enemy grenade and saved three lives.
- Description
- The Purple Heart issued for First Lieutenant John E. Warren, Jr. features a gold heart with an image of George Washington on a ribbon. The ribbon is purple with white edges. The ribbon is connected to a gold pinback through an opening on top of the pin. The bottom of the pin is sewn with white thread to the ribbon. The medal hangs from its ribbon by a rectangular metal loop with rounded corners. The heart is gold plated with a black interior heart containing a profile of General George Washington. Above the heart is the shield of George Washington's coat of arms; a white shield with two red bars and three red stars above, between branches of green leaves. The back of the medal has a raised relief heart with the words, [FOR / MILITARY / MERIT / JOHN E. WARREN / JR.] below the raised relief coat of arms and leaves.
- Place depicted
- United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Awards, Medals, and Insignia
- Type
- medals
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gloria Warren-Baskin, sister of Lt. John E. Warren, Jr.
- Object number
- 2017.112.4.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




