MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:   

	BOARD DATE:           12 December 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000045541

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the record of consideration of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.

	Mr. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Mr. William Blakely		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Fred N. Eichorn		Chairperson	
	Ms. Lana E. McGlynn		Member	
	Mr. Harry B. Oberg		Member	

	The Board, established pursuant to authority contained in 10 U.S.C. 1552, convened at the call of the Chairperson on the above date.  In accordance with Army Regulation 15-185, the application and the available military records pertinent to the corrective action requested were reviewed to determine whether to authorize a formal hearing, recommend that the records be corrected without a formal hearing, or to deny the application without a formal hearing if it is determined that insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice.

	The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                	       records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	                  advisory opinion, if any)

APPLICANT REQUESTS:  That his military records be corrected to show that he was awarded the Purple Heart.

APPLICANT STATES:  That his separation document does not reflect the award of the Purple Heart for wounds that he received while serving in the Republic of Korea.  In support of his application he submits a DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards) and a copy of his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States).

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

The applicant entered the Army on 22 November 1949 and was trained as a field artilleryman.  He served overseas for 1 year, 4 months, 12 days and was awarded the Korean Service Medal with Silver Service Star and the United Nations Service Medal.  He was honorably released from active duty on 26 April 1953 in the pay grade of E-2.

Item 27 (Decorations) and Item 29 (Wounds) of the applicant’s DD Form 214 does not reflect entitlement to the Purple Heart or that he was wounded.

On 11 February 1997 DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards) re-issued to the applicant the Purple Heart, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with Silver Service Star, and the United Nations Service Medal.

Army Regulation 600-8-22 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, and the medical treatment must have been made a matter of official record.

DISCUSSION:  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.  Based on the available records, there is no evidence to show that the applicant suffered any wounds in Korea that would entitle him to the Purple Heart.

2.  The applicant used the DA Form 1577, dated 11 February 1997, as the sole basis for correction of his military records to reflect the award of the Purple Heart.
However, there is no evidence to support the issuance of the award and it appears the entry on the DA Form 1577 may have been in error.  Had the applicant in fact been authorized the decoration, orders would have been published confirming his entitlement to the award.

3.  In view of the foregoing, there is 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

__FNE __  __LEM___  __HBO     DENY APPLICATION

		    Carl W. S. Chun
		    Director, Army Board for Correction
    of Military Records

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000045541	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20001212	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR .  .  .  .  .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(DENY)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.