APPLICANT REQUESTS:  Award of all decorations due him for service in Germany and Vietnam.

APPLICANT STATES:  In effect, that he has no further evidence to offer, only what is in his records.

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

He enlisted in the Regular Army on 24 February 1969.  He served in Germany from 25 September 1969 to 16 June 1970 and in Vietnam from 21 July 1970 to 27 September 1971.  He was honorably separated on 28 September 1971.  He had been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the M-14 Expert Marksmanship Badge.

He was issued a DD Form 215 to add the award of the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/ Palm Unit Citation.

On 14 January 1972, the VA requested information concerning a gunshot wound to his right leg and shrapnel wounds apparently received sometime in 1971.  No response to the request is on file and the applicant’s medical records are not available.

Army Regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy, criteria and administrative instructions concerning individual military awards.  

The regulation authorizes no special decoration for service anywhere in Germany except for the Army of Occupation Medal (for service between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955) and the Berlin Occupation Medal.

The regulation 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:  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 has submitted no medical evidence nor credible statements from witnesses to support his claim that he is due additional awards.  He may be entitled to the Purple Heart if he can provide evidence to support the gunshot/shrapnel wounds mentioned by the VA and any medical treatment received therefor.  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.

3.  In view of the foregoing, there appears to be 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