Postal Service releases Purple Heart medal Forever Stamp

The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled a new stamp honoring America’s Purple Heart recipients which will be sponsored by an Indiana stamp club.

A press release in September revealed the design of the Purple Heart medal Forever Stamp, which went on sale Friday for $11 for a sheet of 20 on the Postal Service’s website.

{mosads}The stamp’s image bears a design of the Purple Heart medal, which was established by President George Washington and still depicts his likeness.

“With this stamp, the Postal Service continues to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military,” the Postal Service said in a statement.

“The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the president of the United States to members of the military who have been wounded or killed in action. According to the Military Order of the Purple Heart, an organization for combat-wounded veterans, the medal is ‘the oldest military decoration in the world in present use and the first award made available to a common soldier,’ ” the statement continued.

The Postal Service reported a net loss of almost $4 billion during the last fiscal year, and in January announced that a 5-cent price increase, the greatest increase in the service’s history, would go into effect this year for the service’s “Forever” line of stamps.

The Postal Service said at the time that top officials “believe these new rates will keep the Postal Service competitive while providing the agency with needed revenue.”