PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:            19 August 1999                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:    AR1999017749

	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. Wanda L. Waller		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Calvin M. Fowler		Chairperson	
	Ms. Celia L. Adolphi 		Member	
	Mr. Melvin H. Meyer		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, correction of his military records to show award of the Prisoner of War (POW) Medal, Purple Heart and that item 
30 (Service Schools or Colleges, College Training Courses and/or Post-Grad Courses Successfully Completed) on his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) be corrected to show he was trained as a supply specialist.  (Analyst Note:  The applicant states that he does not understand item 21 (Statement of Service for Pay Purposes) on his DD Form 214.  Item 21 covers prior service which counts for pay purposes.  The applicant also requests that information included on a VA Form 10-713 be incorporated on his DD Form 214.  The applicant did not provide a copy of the VA Form 10-713 in question, therefore, this issue will not be considered by the Board, nor discussed further in the proceedings.)     

3.  The applicant states that he was held prisoner and detained from
30 November 1950 to 1 December 1950 and was treated for frostbite sometime in December 1950.  He contends that item 30 on his DD Form 214 does not show that he was trained as supply specialist.

4.  The applicant’s military records were destroyed or lost during the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and show the applicant enlisted on 21 April 1950 for a period of 4 years.  He served in Korea and was separated by reason of physical disability with a general (under honorable conditions) discharge on
21 September 1953.   

5.  The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not show the POW Medal or the Purple Heart as authorized awards.  Item 30 on the DD Form 214 shows “None”.  

6.  DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards), dated 17 May 1989, shows that the Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, determined the applicant was entitled to the POW Medal.  

7.  The applicant’s records contain a Western Union telegram, dated
27 December 1950, which states “YOUR SON [APPLICANT] WAS RETURNED TO MLITARY CONTROL 7 DEC 50 HE WAS CAPTURED THE SAME DATE NOW HOSPITALIZED DIAGNOSIS FROSTBITTEN FEET”.

8.  The applicant’s available records fail to show that he completed a supply specialist training course. 

9.  DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards), dated 28 March 1988, shows that the Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, determined the applicant was entitled to the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal.  These medals are not shown on the applicant’s DD Form 214.    
10.  While award of the Purple Heart for frostbite injuries is currently prohibited, such injuries were previously a basis for the award.  Until 1951 Army Regulation 600-45, which governed the award of Army decorations, stated that for the purpose of considering an award of the Purple Heart, a “wound” is defined as an injury to any part of the body from an outside force, element, or agent sustained while in action in the fact of the armed enemy or as a result of a hostile act of such enemy.  An “element” pertains to weather and the award of this decoration to personnel who were severely frostbitten while actually engaged in combat is authorized.

11.  Army Regulation 635-5 establishes the policies and procedures for completion and distribution of the DD Form 214.  In pertinent part it states that item 30 (Service Schools or Colleges, College Training Courses and/or Post-Grad Courses Successfully Completed) will list formal in service training courses successfully completed during the period of service covered by title, length in weeks, and month and year completed.  This information is to assist the soldier after separation in job placement and counseling; therefore, training courses for combat skills are not listed.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant was awarded the POW Medal; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his military records to show this award.

2.  Evidence of record shows the applicant was held captive, returned to military control and hospitalized for frostbitten feet on 7 December 1950.  Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his military records to show award of the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his military records to show these awards. 

4.  There is no evidence available to the Board, and the applicant has provided no evidence, which shows he completed a supply specialist training course.  Therefore, he is not entitled to correction of item 30 on his DD Form 214.

5.  In view of the foregoing and conclusions, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records, but only as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the individual concerned was awarded the POW Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal. 

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

BOARD VOTE:  

CMF____  CLA____  MHM____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Calvin M. Fowler______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999017749	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	19990819	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(GD)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19530921	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 600-450  	
DISCHARGE REASON	Physical Disability	
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0029	
2.	107.0015	
3.	100.0700	
4.		
5.		
6.