On View
Military History Gallery
Exhibition
Double Victory: The African American Military Experience
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
Topic
Military
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd54ccfe832-b306-4bef-be99-800bf0dc2c14

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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