PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           15 December 1999                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999020277

	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. Thomas N. Kuhn		Chairperson	
	Ms. Elizabeth Buchannon		Member	
	Mr. Mark D. Manning		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 that the Purple Heart be shown on his DD Form 214, Report of Transfer or Discharge.

3.  The applicant states that he was wounded on 9 April 1968 and evacuated to the 106th Evacuation Hospital, Japan, for treatment of the wound.  In support of his request, he has provided a copy of his DA Form 20, Enlisted Qualification Record.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted on 11 May 1967 and served 1 year in Vietnam as a canoneer.  He was honorably released to the USAR on 4 March 1969 in pay grade E-4.  He reentered active duty on             23 November 1970 and was honorably discharged on 4 May 1972.  He reenlisted on 5 May 1972 and was discharged under honorable conditions for the good of the service in lieu of trial by court-martial on 8 November 1972.

5.  His awards include the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. 

6.  The DA Form 20 provided by the applicant contains no evidence that he was awarded the Purple Heart.  However, his Military Personnel Records Jacket contains a copy of a Western Union Telegram from the Secretary of the Army to his parents, dated 12 April 1968 indicating that the applicant was slightly wounded in the right shoulder due to hostile action in Vietnam on 9 April 1968.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record clearly shows that the applicant was wounded in action in Vietnam on 9 April 1968 as a result of hostile action and is entitled to the Purple Heart for that wound.

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:

	a.  showing that the individual concerned was wounded in action in Vietnam on 9 April 1968; and

	b.  correcting his DD Form 214 to reflect the award of the Purple Heart and issuing him the medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

_tnk_____  _eb_____  _mdm___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_Thomas N. Kuhn_______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999020277	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	19991215	
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.