PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            11 January 2001
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000046820

	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. Jessie B. Strickland		Analyst	

The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Ernest M. Willcher		Chairperson	
	Ms. Ann M. Campbell		Member	
	Mr. Donald P. Hupman, Jr.		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 reflect his award of the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he was wounded and was awarded the Purple Heart; however, it was never reflected on his report of separation (WD AGO Form 53-55).  In support of his application he submits a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55. 

4.  The applicant’s military records were destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center which destroyed millions of service records.  However, the report of separation provided by the applicant with his application shows that he was in fact wounded while serving in France on 7 August 1944, that he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with five bronze service stars.  There is no indication that he received the Purple Heart on the WD AGO Form 53-55 issued to the applicant.

5.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound/injury sustained as a result of hostile action.  Substantiating evidence must be provided to verify that the wound/injury was a result of hostile action, that the wound/injury must have required treatment by a medical officer, and that the medical treatment was made a matter of official record.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  While it is apparent that the applicant was authorized the award of the PH and he states that he was in fact presented the medal, there is no evidence in the available records to show that it was officially entered into his records.  Accordingly, it would be in the interest of justice to correct this administrative oversight at this time.

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 showing that the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he received on 7 August 1944.

BOARD VOTE:  

___ew  __  ___amc _  ___dph__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		____Ernest M. Willcher_____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000046820	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	2001/01/11	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  189	110.0000/CORR 214	
2.  61	107.0015/PH	
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.