Under the pressure of several Dutch Veteran organisations, the Dutch Government finally istituted a special Badge for the Wounded in October 1990 as an equivalent of the American Purple Heart. The decoration can be obtained when wounded during the cause of engeging enemy activities. It can also be awarded to members of the Merchant Marine.
The injury can be either fysical or psychological trauma, endured in the cause of war or situations that can be compared to war, like peacekeeping enforcements. The decoration can also be obtained for injurys endured during wars in the past.