Correction: the American Purple Heart dates back to the Revolutionary War, when General Washington created it. The current system for giving the Purple Heart dates to 1917.

Gregory Baker, Odenton, Maryland, USA

Yes, let's give our wounded servicemen and women purple hearts, but first, let's give these deserving people access to proper, dedicated, high quality medical care and after-care instead of the miserable third rate support services we offer them on their return to the UK. We owe them a debt, so let's re-pay it.

Neil Marshall, Cambridge, UK

As a serving Royal Marine, I find that a medal to award wounds recived in action rather insulting. Oh great a £20.00 medal! How about better compensation perhaps? Oh I forgot, that with bean counter Brown at the helm the £20.00 presents better value for money than providing decent post injury healthcare and compensation.

My unit was recently visited by some suits from Whitehall who went on to say that we we paid well in comparison to our civilian counterparts; a young Marine went on to point out that last year he bayonetted a man in the face and what would his civilian counterpart get? Oh about 2 years max, compensation for slopping out and a council flat when he's released!

Royal Marine, Great Britain,

If the aim is to recognise sacrifices in battle, how about providing council houses for life to those wounded and then subsequently medically discharged from the army, or the widows of those soldiers killed in the course of duty?

How about enshrining in law priority NHS treatment for those wounded in service of their country?

How about helping those institutionalized by the army resettle into civillian life by offering something like the US GI Bill?

I could go on.

The above will not happen because of dogma and that animal known as the career politician IE this government, striving as it is for some warped kind of utopia will not countenance removing the principle of state-aid on the basis of need rather than merit regardless of how unpalatable and illogical the result is.

The govt cannot countenance spending more money on defence because it doesn't win votes - yet of course, these statesmen want to be global leaders strutting round the world as a 'force for good'.

Pointless.

Lee, Leeds,