1,150 Fallen Marines and Sailors sent Christmas ornaments?

Marine Corps apologizes for Purple Heart Christmas mixup
December 13, 2011

The Marine Corps apologized Tuesday for mistakenly sending Purple Heart Christmas ornaments to the families of 1,150 deceased Marines and sailors.

"There are no words to express how very sorry we are for the hurt such a mistake has caused the families of our fallen warriors," said Col. John L. Mayer, commanding officer of the Wounded Warrior Regiment.

The ornaments were supposed to be sent only to living recipients of the Purple Heart, a medal bestowed on those wounded in combat. The goal was to thank the recipients for their service.

The ornaments are gold with an image of the Purple Heart. They came in envelopes addressed to the deceased service personnel, with a letter of thanks and information about a physical conditioning program.
read more here