PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           24 November 1998                 
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AC98-07914

	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. Michael L. Engle		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. George D. Paxson		Chairperson	
	Ms. Celia L Adolphi		Member	
	Mr. Robert W. Garrett		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, the son of the deceased former service member (FSM), requests that the FSM’s military records be corrected to show award of the Purple Heart (PH), the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, the Belgian Fourragere, a bronze arrowhead device for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and three Presidential Unit Citations (PUC).

3.  The son of the FSM states that the FSM’s 1st joint of the 2nd finger of his left hand was shot off in combat in Normandy.  He provides a copy of a letter written by the FSM’s company commander, dated 29 July 1945.  The commander states that the FSM lost his finger during combat soon after closing the Falaise Gap.  He also provides a 12 March 1946 letter from the United States Army Recruiting Sub-Station, Thomasville, Georgia, which indicates that the FSM was awarded the PH.

4.  The FSM’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Information herein was obtained from reconstructed personnel records.

5.  The FSM enlisted in the Army on 19 December 1940 at Fort Benning, Georgia.  He completed his initial training and was eventually assigned to the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater on 11 December 1942.  The FSM served as a medium tank commander with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division until his departure to the United States on 15 July 1945.  He attained the rank of sergeant and was honorably discharged on 31 July 1945.  He completed 4 years, 7 months and 13 days of creditable active duty.

6.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 documents that during the time period that the FSM was assigned to the above mentioned unit, that unit took part in six campaigns and received the Presidential Unit Emblem, the French Croix de Guerre (once), the Belgian Fourragere (twice),and the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp.

7.  On 17 July 1997 a Correction to DD Form 214 (DD Form 215) was issued to add the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Emblem, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp.

8.  Also, on 17 July 1997 an authorization for issuance of awards was published, directing the engraving and issuance of the Belgian Fourragere and a bronze arrowhead device.

9.  Morning reports on 26 August 1944, for the above mentioned unit, indicate that the FSM was lightly wounded in action and was a battle casualty in the vicinity of Mandeville, France.

10.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the PH 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.

11.  That regulation also provides that the French Forragere may be awarded by the French Government when a unit has been cited twice for the Croix de Guerre.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The available evidence shows that the FSM was lightly wounded in action.  Even though personnel and medical records are no longer available, it is reasonable to presume that the FSM received at least field medical attention for the lost portion of his finger.  Therefore, he should be entitled to receive the PH.

2.  There is no evidence to support the contention that the FSM’s unit received more than one PUC.

3.  The FSM’s records have already been corrected to add the Belgian Fourragere and the bronze arrowhead for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

4.  The FSM’s unit was cited only once for the Croix de Guerre with Palm.  This citation by itself does not entitle members of the unit cited a single time to an individual emblem for their uniform.  Neither the French Government nor the United States Army have authorized the soldier an individual emblem based upon one citation in the orders of the day for award of the French Croix de Guerre with Palm.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case, particularly the separation document (WD AGO Form 53-55) of the individual concerned, be corrected by showing the FSM was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action on 26 August 1944 in the vicinity of Mandeville, France.

2.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied 

BOARD VOTE:  

___GDP_  __CLA__  __RWG__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON