PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           17 April 2001
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001052918

	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. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr. 		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. John H. Kern		Chairperson	
	Mr. Melvin H. Meyer		Member	
	Ms. Margaret V. Thompson		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 correction of his records to show award of the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he received a DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards) which awarded him the Purple Heart and he now wants it added to his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge). 

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted on 13 March 1967 and completed training as an infantryman.  He was honorably discharged from active duty on 12 March 1969.

5.  The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award.  

6.  There are no orders in the applicant’s service personnel records which show that he was awarded the Purple Heart.  There also is no evidence in his records that he was wounded or treated for wounds as a result of hostile action.  His DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) does not show any entry in item 40 (Wounds) or list the Purple Heart in item 41 (Awards and Decorations).

7.  The applicant’s DA Form 20 shows that he became a patient at the Medical Holding Detachment at Camp Zama Japan on 1 February 1968.  The applicant’s separation medical examination shows the entry “GSW R Chest” [gunshot wound right chest].  The applicant’s name appears on the Vietnam Casualty Roster as wounded in action 20 January 1968.

8.  The Board noted that the applicant’s DD Form 214 does not show any unit awards.

9.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) shows the applicant is entitled to award of the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation based on Department of the Army General Orders Number 3, dated 1970.

10.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) also shows the applicant is entitled to award of the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First Class Unit Citation based on Department of the Army General Orders Number 53, dated 1970.

11.  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.
CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action in Vietnam on 20 January 1968; therefore, he is entitled to award of the Purple Heart and correction of his records to show this award.

2.  The applicant is entitled to award of the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation and award of the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First Class Unit Citation; therefore, he is entitled to correction of records to show these foreign unit awards.

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 showing the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in Vietnam on 20 January 1968 and was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First Class Unit Citation.

BOARD VOTE:  

__MHM__  __JHK__  __MVT__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001052918	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20010417	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(NC, GRANT , DENY, GRANT PLUS)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	MR SCHNEIDER	
ISSUES         1.	107.0000.0000	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.