PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:           18 October 2001                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001057155

	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. W. E. Schnupp		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Fred N. Eichorn		Chairperson	
	Mr. Melvin H. Meyer		Member	
	Ms. Barbara J. Ellis		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 he be awarded the Purple Heart.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that the Purple Heart is missing from his records and that he does not have a Purple Heart Certificate.  He asks also that the record be checked for anything else that is missing.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted on 27 May 1943 and served in the European Theater of Operations from June 1944 to March 1945.  He was honorably discharged with a Certificate for Disability Discharge (CDD) on 31 August 1945 in the grade of technician 5th class.

5.  The only award shown on his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, is the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Service Stars.  Block 34 (wounds received in action) of the form contains the entry “Eur Afr Mid E T 13 Jan 45.”

6.  On 5 May 1993 the Board considered and approved the applicant’s request for the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) (AC92-05666A).  In those proceedings, it was pointed out that the applicant, while serving as an infantryman in an infantry unit, was seriously wounded in the leg on 13 January 1945 and was subsequently separated with a CDD.

7.  As a result of the previous Board’s action, the applicant was awarded the CIB, the Bronze Star Medal based on the CIB, and the Good Conduct Medal.

8.  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.

9.  The awards regulation also authorized the American Campaign Medal to be awarded for service in the American Theater for at least one year between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946; and the World War II Victory Medal for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The previous Board Proceedings confirm that the applicant was seriously wounded in action.  That fact is further confirmed by the entry in block 34 of his WD AGO 53-55, which indicates he was wounded on 13 January 1945.  Thus, it is clear that he is entitled to the Purple Heart.

2.  Additionally, considering the period and location of his World War II service, he is also entitled to award of the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

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 that the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action on 13 January 1945, and the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

___fne___  ____mhm  ____bje_  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__________Fred N. Eichorn________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001057155	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20011018	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT PLUS)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  107.00		
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.