IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 12 April 2011 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20100024316 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). 2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant requests the Purple Heart be added to his DD Form 214 (Report of Transfer or Discharge). 2. The applicant states he received the Purple Heart in Vietnam on 23 July 1971 and it never showed up on his DD Form 214. 3. The applicant provides an award certificate for the Purple Heart in support of his application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice. This provision of law also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse an applicant’s failure to timely file within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so. While it appears the applicant did not file within the time frame provided in the statute of limitations, the ABCMR has elected to conduct a substantive review of this case and, only to the extent relief, if any, is granted, has determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file. In all other respects, there are insufficient bases to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing. 2. The applicant enlisted in the Regular Army on 20 March 1968 for a period of 3 years. He served as a medical corpsman in Vietnam from 26 February 1970 to 2 October 1971. On 3 October 1971, he was released from active duty and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve Control Group (Reinforcement) to complete his remaining service obligation. 3. Item 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) of his DD Form 214 does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award. 4. There are no orders for the Purple Heart in his service personnel records. 5. Item 41 (Awards and Decorations) of the applicant's DA Form 20 does not show the Purple Heart and item 40 (Wounds) of his DA Form 20 is blank. His name does not appear on the Vietnam casualty roster. 6. On 3 October 1971, he underwent a separation physical examination which makes no mention of any injuries or wounds sustained as a result of hostile action. 7. A review of the Awards and Decorations Computer-Assisted Retrieval System (ADCARS), an index of general orders issued during the Vietnam era between 1965 and 1973 maintained by the Military Awards Branch of the United States Army Human Resources Command, failed to reveal any orders for the Purple Heart pertaining to the applicant. 8. In support of his claim, the applicant provided an award certificate, dated 23 September 1971, for the Purple Heart for wounds received in action on 23 July 1971 in Vietnam. 9. 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 medical personnel, and the medical treatment must have been made a matter of official record. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. No evidence of record shows he was wounded or injured as a result of hostile action in Vietnam. His separation physical examination, dated 3 October 1971, makes no mention of any injuries or wounds sustained as a result of hostile action. 2. There are no orders for the Purple Heart in the available records. In the absence of orders or other evidence of record showing he was injured or treated for wounds as a result of hostile action in Vietnam, the award certificate provided by the applicant is not sufficient as a basis for amending his DD Form 214 to show award of the Purple Heart. BOARD VOTE: ________ ________ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ____X____ ___X_____ ___X_____ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice. Therefore, the Board determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned. _______ _ _X______ ___ CHAIRPERSON I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20100024316 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20100024316 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1