The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit was established by George Washington then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army – by order from his Newburgh, New York, headquarters on 7 August 1782. The Badge of Military Merit was only awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers by Washington himself. In 1932, the United States War Department authorized the new Purple Heart Medal for soldiers who had previously received either a Wound Chevron or the Army Wound Ribbon. At that time, it was also determined that the Purple Heart Medal would be considered the official "successor decoration" to the Badge of Military Merit.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart - Alamo Chapter 1836 represents more than 830 members in and around the San Antonio, Texas area.  The Chapter's members have earned the Purple Heart Medal in campaigns that include World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). In 2018 Chapter 1836 met with Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo and Commander Tony Roman veterans of the Marine Corps to agree on the location to erect the memorial in front of the Courthouse. As of Today there are hundreds of pavers with names, branches and war/conflicts around the monument.