PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:       4 November 1998       
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AC98-11248

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.  

	Mr. Loren G. Harrell		Director	
	Ms. Deborah L. Brantley		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. James E. Vick		Chairperson	
	Mr. Luther L. Santiful		Member	
	Mr. Thomas N. Kuhn		Member	

	The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including advisory opinion, 
	if any)

FINDINGS:

1.  The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

2.  The applicant requests correction of his military records to reflect award of the Purple Heart.  He states he received the decoration after his separation from active duty.

3.  Records available to the Board indicate the applicant entered active duty on 31 August 1944 and served in the European Theater of Operations as an infantryman between January 1945 and September 1946.  On 4 March 1945 he was wounded as a result of hostile actions but was not awarded the Purple Heart until 27 May 1947.  As a result of his duties in Europe he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge.

4.  On 6 November 1946 he was released from active duty as a result of demobilization.  On 27 May 1947 the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart in a letter order issued by the War Department.  He was furnished the engraved decoration, a copy of the letter order, and a certificate by officials from the Quartermaster Depot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

5.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroism and for meritorious achievement or service in military operations against an armed enemy.  The Bronze Star Medal is authorized for each individual who was cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat between 7 December 1941 and 
2 September 1945 or whose such achievement or service, during that period, was confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947.  An award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge is considered to be a citation in orders.  This means, in effect, that the Bronze Star Medal is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during World War II.  Awards of the Bronze Star Medal under these circumstances is commonly referred to as a conversion award.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record confirms the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained as a result of hostile action on 4 March 1945.  The fact that the award was not announced until after his separation accounts for it absence from his separation document.

2.  The evidence also confirms the applicant was awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge and as such is entitled to an award of the Bronze Star Medal as a conversion award.

3.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected:

	a.  by showing that the individual concerned was wounded on 4 March 1945 and awarded the Purple Heart; and

	b.  by awarding him the Bronze Star Medal as a conversion award based on his Combat Infantryman Badge.

BOARD VOTE:  

__JEV___  _LLS___  __TNK___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON