PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:             15 February 2000     
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999028485

	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.  

	Ms. Deborah L. Brantley		Senior Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Fred Eichorn		Chairperson	
	Ms. Karol A. Kennedy		Member	
	Mr. Roger Able		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 award of the Purple Heart.  He states he received the award but it was not recorded on his separation document.  In support of his request he submits an extract from a unit morning report confirming his wound.

3.  Records indicate the applicant entered active duty on 20 May 1966 and arrived in Vietnam in October 1966.  According to information contained in a unit morning report, and in extracts from his service medical records, the applicant sustained multiple fragment wounds to his abdomen as a result of hostile action on 8 May 1967.  As a result of his injuries he was medically evacuated from Vietnam to Korea via Japan.  There is no indication the applicant was ever awarded the Purple Heart.  The applicant was released from active duty on 
21 May 1968.

4.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for wounds 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:

1.  The evidence confirms the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action on 8 May 1967 while in Vietnam and as such is entitled to an award of the Purple Heart.

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 awarding the individual concerned the Purple Heart for wounds sustained as a result of hostile action on 8 May 1967 while in Vietnam.

BOARD VOTE:  

___fe___  ___ra___  ___kak_       GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999028485	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000215	
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         1.61	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.