On May 24, 2012, the South Dakota DOT Transportation Commission officially declared Interstate 90 from the Minnesota border to the Wyoming border as South Dakota's segment of the national Purple Heart Trail. Established in 1992 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Purple Heart Trail is a symbolic trail throughout all 50 states and U.S. territories honoring men and women wounded or killed in combat while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The trail originates in Mt. Vernon, Virginia, the burial location of George Washington. The Purple Heart Medal, the nation's oldest military medal, was first created by General George Washington in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit and is awarded to members of the armed forces of the United States who have been wounded or killed in action by an enemy of the United States. The purpose of the Purple Heart Trail is to create a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges, and other monuments that gives tribute to those who have received the Purple Heart Medal.