PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:             8 August 2000                 
	DOCKET NUMBER:    AR2000036631

	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. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Mr. Walter Avery, Jr.		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Stanley Kelley		Chairperson	
	Mr. James E. Anderholm		Member	
	Mr. Ronald E. Blakely		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 his records be corrected to show award of the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant states that he was wounded in Vietnam, but was never awarded the Purple Heart.  The applicant provides no additional details relating to the circumstances of the wound.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he entered the Army on 18 November 1965 and was honorably separated on 17 September 1969 in pay grade E-3.  The record also shows that during his career he served in Vietnam from 7 January 1968 – 2 January 1969.

5.  The military records contain the applicant’s DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record).  In Block 40 (wounds) of the form it reflects the entry:  “Frg wd left leg, 22 Oct 68”.  The Board interprets the abbreviation “Frg” to mean fragment and “wd” to mean wound.  There are no other records in his military file showing that he was wounded or describing how his wound was sustained.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) 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.

7.  Army Regulation 600-200 (Preparation and Maintenance of Enlisted Qualification Record) the regulation then in effect, provides that item 40 (wounds) of the Enlisted Qualification Record, will contain a brief description of wounds or injuries requiring medical treatment, received through hostile or enemy action, including those requiring hospitalization. 

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board accepts the entry in block 40 of the Enlisted Qualification Record as evidence that the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action and is entitled to the Purple Heart for that wound. 

2.  Based on the foregoing, it would be appropriate to correct his DD Form 214 to show that he was awarded the Purple Heart.

3.  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 awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action in Vietnam; and

	b.  issuing to him a correction to his DD Form 214 reflecting the above award.

BOARD VOTE:  

___sj ___  ___jea___  ___reb__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__________Stanley Kelley__________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR200036631	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000808	
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.