PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:            30 June 1999                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:    AR1998013634

	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	
	Mr. W. E. Schnupp		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. George D. Paxson		Chairperson	
	Mr. Arthur A. Omartian		Member	
	Mr. John P. Infante		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, in effect, that he be awarded the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II but never received the Purple Heart for those wounds.

4.  In support of his request he has included a statement from his battalion commander at the time who attest to the fact that the applicant was wounded in action and evacuated because of his wounds.

5.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted on 11 March 1940 and served in both the Asiatic Theater of Operations and the European Theater of Operations.  He was honorably discharged at demobilization on 14 August 1945 in the grade of private first class.

6.  His awards, as listed on his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, include the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Sharpshooter Badge with rifle bar.  A subsequent determination by the Army Reserve Personnel Center on 30 April 1985 found that he was also entitled to the Bronze Star Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

7.  Block 34 (wounds received in action) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 contains the entry “none”.  

8.  His former commander’s letter is dated 25 February 1963 and indicates that he personally knew the applicant who was a member of his command at the time and was aware of his wounding and evacuation.

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, 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 by a medical officer, and the medical treatment must have been made a matter of official record.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Although there are no official documents to substantiate the applicant’s wounding in action, his former battalion commander’s positive letter identifying the applicant is accepted by the Board as establishing his entitlement to the Purple Heart.

2.  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 by showing that the individual concerned was wounded in action in Belgium during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart for those wounds.

BOARD VOTE:  

_gdp____  _aao____  _jpi_____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_George D. Paxson________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1998013634	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	YYYYMMDD	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  107.00		
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.