APPLICANT REQUESTS:  That he be awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal.

APPLICANT STATES:  In effect, that he did not receive the Purple Heart.  He apparently was wounded while assigned to Company C, 4th Battalion 23d Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, Vietnam.  While on a routine trip between the Fire Support Base (FSB) at Tay Ninh and the rear area, his jeep was fired upon by enemy mortar.  He suffered a shell fragment wound to his head.  He received medical treatment at the FSB aid station.  He was told that he would be submitted for the Purple Heart.  He states there were witnesses but he could not locate them to ask them to provide a statement.

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant’s military records show:

He was drafted into the Army on 14 January 1969.  He served in Vietnam from 25 June 1969 - 24 June 1970 as a rifleman.

On 29 April 1998, the Army Review Board Agency - St Louis issued the applicant a DD Form 215 to add the Bronze Star Medal.

Army Regulation 672-5-l, then in effect, provided policy, criteria and administrative instructions concerning individual military decorations.  In pertinent part, it stated that a wound for which the award of the Purple Heart was made must have required treatment by a medical officer and records of medical treatment for wounds or injuries received in action must have been made a matter of official record.

The applicant’s medical records are not available and he has provided no credible statements from witnesses to support his claim.

DISCUSSION:  Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:

1.  In order to justify correction of a military record the applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust.  The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy the aforementioned requirement.

2.  The applicant’s records have already been corrected to reflect the award of the Bronze Star Medal.
3.  The applicant has submitted no medical evidence nor credible statements from witnesses to support his application.  The applicant should contact the VA to try to obtain evidence from his service medical records that he was treated for this wound.  He may also try to locate witnesses using the services of the VA or such service organizations as the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

4.  In view of the foregoing, there is no basis for granting the applicant’s request.

DETERMINATION:  The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.

BOARD VOTE:

                       GRANT          

                       GRANT FORMAL HEARING

                       DENY APPLICATION

						Loren G. Harrell
						Director