PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           25 July 2002
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2002071453

	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. Nancy L. Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. Richard T. Dunbar		Member	
	Mr. Kenneth W. Lapin		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 the Purple Heart be added to his Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55.

3.  The applicant states that his WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that he was wounded but does not show the Purple Heart he was awarded.  He provides his WD AGO Form 53-55 and a photo of his engraved Purple Heart as supporting evidence.

4.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire in 1973.  Information contained herein was obtained from alternate sources.

5.  The applicant was inducted into the Army on 5 January 1943 and entered active service on 13 January 1943.  He arrived in the Asiatic Pacific Theater of Operations on 31 May 1943.  

6.  On a Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data dated     31 October 1980, the applicant noted that he was admitted to the front line surgical hospital where shrapnel was removed.  He was then moved back to a field hospital and evacuated to Guam where further surgery was performed.

7.  The applicant departed the theater on 4 November 1945 after being credited with three campaigns and separated on 20 November 1945.  Item 34 of his WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that he was wounded on 19 April 1945.  Item 33 shows he was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, a bronze arrowhead, the Army Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides for award of the Purple Heart 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.  It also provides for the wear of one bronze service star on the appropriate service medal for each credited campaign.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board accepts the photograph of the applicant’s engraved Purple Heart, along with the entry in item 34 of his WD AGO Form 53-55, as sufficient evidence to substantiate his claim to the Purple Heart.

2.  The applicant is also authorized to wear three bronze service stars on the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal.

3.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:

That the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 be amended to show he is authorized the Purple Heart and to show he is authorized to wear three bronze service stars on the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

__RVO__  __RTD__  __KWL__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		___Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.___
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002071453	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2002/07/25	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0015	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.