2.  The applicant requests correction of his records to reflect that he was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Vietnam.

3.  He states that he was wounded in the left arm by shrapnel on 22 July 1968 while serving in Vietnam.

4.  The record reflects that he served in Vietnam from 11 May 1968 to 13 January 1969.  Block 40 of his enlisted qualification record entitled “wounds” shows that he was wounded in the left arm by shrapnel on 22 July 1968.

5.  Army Regulation 600-200, Preparation and Maintenance of the Enlisted Qualification Record, provides in pertinent part, that item 40 (wounds) of the personnel qualification record will contain a brief description of wounds or injuries requiring medical treatment, received through hostile or enemy action, including those requiring hospitalization.  The entry will also contain the date wounded or injured.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound sustained as the 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.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant was wounded as the result of hostile action and that wound was properly recorded in the record.

2.  Based on the evidence available, it appears that his injury meets the requirement for award of the Purple Heart.

3.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s record 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 injuries sustained on 22 July 1968 as the result of hostile enemy action in Vietnam.

BOARD VOTE:  

                       GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

                       GRANT FORMAL HEARING

                       DENY APPLICATION




		                           
		        CHAIRPERSON