PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:            20 December 2001           
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001064421

	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	
	Ms. Stephanie Thompkins		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. John N. Slone		Chairperson	
	Mr. Thomas B. Redfern, III		Member	
	Mr. Lester Echols		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 separation document (WD AGO 53-55) reflect that he was wounded in action, twice.

3.  The applicant states that he was shot twice and would like to have his records reflect this.  He submits copies of his honorable discharge, letters received from friends about being wounded and a picture of him in uniform in support of his request. 

4.  The applicant's military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Information herein was obtained from the Department of the Army, the Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) Hospital Admission Cards, SGO Hospitalization Files and documentation submitted by the applicant.

5.  Documentation submitted with the application shows that the applicant enlisted in the Regular Army on 28 August 1942.  He departed for an overseas tour on 25 May 1943.  He served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations from 2 June 1943 through 15 November 1945.  He was honorably separated from active duty on 29 November 1945.

6.  Item 33 (Decorations and Citations) of the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award.  Item 34 (wounds Received in Action) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the entry, “NONE.”

7.  Hospital admission records (OTSG Hospital Admission cards) show that the applicant was a battle casualty for an abdominal wound sustained in June 1944 and a leg wound sustained in August 1944.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, the Purple Heart is awarded to an individual who is wounded in action against an enemy of the United States, the armed force of a foreign country which is or has been engaged, while serving with a friendly foreign forces against an opposing force even though the U.S. is not engaged, as the result of any act of such enemy or opposing force or as a result an act of any hostile force.

9.  This regulation also specifies that the bronze oak leaf cluster is awarded to denote the second and succeeding awards to certain decorations, among which is the Purple Heart.

10.  SGO Files, a health record research project, commonly referred to as the "SGO Files", involved transposing the hospital admission card data from the periods of World War II and the Korean conflict onto magnetic tape.  In 1988 the National Research Council made these tape files available to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).  The availability of the information to the 

NPRC received considerable publicity by the various veterans service organizations.  It was widely believed that these tapes would become a valuable substitute for the records lost in the NPRC fire of 1973.  

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Hospital admission records show that the applicant was treated for wounds sustained as a result of hostile action in Europe in June 1944 and for wounds sustained in Europe as a result of hostile action in August 1944.  Therefore, the applicant is entitled to award of the Purple Heart (First Oak Leaf Cluster) and correction of his records to show these awards and to show his wounds.

2.  In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected:

a.   by showing the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart (First Oak Leaf Cluster); and

b.  by showing in item 34 (Wounds Received in Action) of his WD AGO 53-55 the entries: “SFW JUN44 EUROPE” AND SFW AUG44 EUROPE”.

BOARD VOTE:  

__jns___  _le______  _tbr____    GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

			John N. Slone
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001064421	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20011220	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	DENY	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	100.00	
2.	107.00	
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.