RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 06 OCTOBER 2005 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20050001505 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. Curtis Greenway Chairperson Mr. Richard Dunbar Member Ms. Laverne Berry Member The Board considered the following evidence: Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records. Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including advisory opinion, if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant requests that his award of the Purple Heart be added to his report of separation (DD Form 214). 2. The applicant states for some reason his award of the Purple Heart was not added to his DD Form 214 at the time of his separation. 3. The applicant provides a copy of his Purple Heart Certificate. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. He was inducted in Raleigh, North Carolina, on 3 May 1965. He completed his basic combat training and advanced individual training (AIT) as a light weapons infantryman at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Upon completion of his AIT he was transferred to Germany on 20 September 1965. 2. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 21 May 1966 for a period of 3 years and remained in Germany until 21 December 1966, when he was transferred to Vietnam. 3. He arrived in Vietnam on 5 February 1967 and was assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to the pay grade of E-5 on 26 March 1967. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) on 1 April 1967. 4. The available records, as well as the Vietnam Casualty Listing shows that he received fragmentation wounds to the right hand, right thigh and right and left lower leg. He was subsequently evacuated to a hospital in Japan and then to a medical holding company at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He remained at Fort Gordon until he was transferred to Fort Carson, Colorado, on 11 September 1967. 5. On 24 February 1968, he reenlisted for a period of 4 years and assignment to Europe. He was transferred to Germany on 10 April 1968 and after completing his 3-year tour, was transferred to Fort Jackson, where he remained until he was honorably discharged on 25 February 1972, due to the expiration of his term of service (ETS). He had served 6 years, 9 months and 23 days of total active service and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) and the CIB. 6. The Purple Heart Certificate provided by the applicant shows that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart by a medical corps officer on 19 April 1967 for wounds received in action on 9 April 1967. There are no orders contained in his records to show he was awarded the Purple Heart. 7. 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 a result of hostile action, that the wound must have required treatment by a medical officer, and that the medical treatment was made a matter of official record. 8. That regulation also provides, in pertinent part, for award of the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVNCM). The Government of Vietnam awarded this medal to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States for qualifying service in Vietnam during the period 1 March 1961 through 28 March 1973. Qualifying service included assignment in Vietnam for 6 months or service outside the geographic limits of the Republic of Vietnam that contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam and its Armed Forces. Individuals who had qualified for award of the Vietnam Service Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and were wounded as a result of hostile action were entitled to award of the RVNCM. 9. Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register-Vietnam Era) was published to assist commanders and personnel officers in determining or establishing the eligibility of individual members for campaign participation credit, assault landing credit, and unit citation badges awarded during the Vietnam Conflict. Table 1 (Army Units in Numerical Order) of the pamphlet indicates that subsequent to the applicant’s departure from Vietnam, his unit was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (RVNGC w/Palm) Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal – First Class (RVNCAHM-FC) Unit Citation for the period he served with the unit. Additionally, he served in two campaigns and is entitled to be awarded two bronze service stars for wear on his already awarded VSM. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. Although there are no orders in the available records to substantiate his award of the Purple Heart, there is sufficient evidence in the available records to show that he was wounded in action in Vietnam on 9 April 1967 and therefore, it is reasonable to presume that he was awarded the Purple Heart and that an administrative error resulted in the orders not being placed in his records. 2. Accordingly, it would be in the interest of justice to correct his records at this time to show that he was awarded the Purple Heart. 3. Additionally, the evidence of record also shows that he is entitled to be awarded the RVNCM, the RVNGC w/Palm Unit Citation, the RVNCAHM-FC Unit Citation and two bronze service stars for wear on his already awarded VSM. BOARD VOTE: __CG___ ___RD___ ___LB __ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by showing that he was awarded the Purple Heart and by awarding him the RVNCM, the RVNGC w/Palm Unit Citation, the RVNCAHM-FC Unit Citation and two bronze service stars for wear on his already awarded VSM. ____Curtis Greenway________ CHAIRPERSON INDEX CASE ID AR20050001505 SUFFIX RECON DATE BOARDED 20051006 TYPE OF DISCHARGE (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) DATE OF DISCHARGE 19720225 DISCHARGE AUTHORITY AR 635-200, Ch 2, SEC VI DISCHARGE REASON ETS BOARD DECISION (GRANT PLUS) REVIEW AUTHORITY AR 15-185 ISSUES 1.107.0016 61/ph 2.107.0088 134/rvncm 3.107.0094 140/rvngc 4.107.0095 141/rvncahm 5. 6.