PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:                23 September 1999              
	DOCKET NUMBER:       AR1998012811

	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. Joyce A. Wright		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Ernest M. Willcher		Chairperson	
	Mr. Melvin H. Meyer		Member	
	Ms. Barbara J. Ellis		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, as the daughter of the deceased former service member (FSM) requests correction of the appropriate records to show that the FSM was awarded the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that the FSM was awarded the Purple Heart on 7 January 1952 while serving in Korea.  She also states that she is unable to obtain a proper marker for the FSM’s gravesite due to his Purple Heart award.
She further states that the Purple Heart was requested before the FSM's death in 1997.

4.  The FSM’s military records show he entered active duty on 2 February 1951.  He continued to serve through a series of continuous reenlistments until he was honorably released from active duty and placed on the Army of the United States Retired List effective 1 July 1972. 

5.  The FSM’s DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) with an effective date of 13 January 1954, does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award.

6.  The FSM’s records contain a WD AGO Form 0707 (Record of Award of Purple Heart) which shows he was awarded the Purple Heart by 8209th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) General Order Number 5, dated 7 January 1952. 

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound sustained as a result of hostile action.  Substantiating evidence must be provided to verify that the wound was the result of hostile action, the wound must have required treatment, and the medical treatment must have been made a matter of official record.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The FSM was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on 7 January 1952.  Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show this award.

2.  In view of the foregoing, the FSM’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the FSM was awarded the Purple Heart.

BOARD VOTE:  

EMW____  MHM___  BJE_____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Ernest M. Willcher____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1998012811	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	19990923	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	RETIRE- 19720630	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 635-200	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  61		
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.