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

3.  He states that he was wounded by shell fragments in the left thigh and knee in December 1967 while in Vietnam, and believes that he should be awarded the Purple Heart for these injuries.

4.  His military records show that he was inducted on 15 February 1967 and served 11 months and 20 days in Vietnam.  He was honorably discharged upon completion of his term of service on 14 February 1969.

5.  His awards include the, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Air Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

6.  The record reflects that he served in Vietnam from 20 August 1967 to 9 August 1968.  Block 40 of his enlisted qualification record entitled “wounds” shows that he was wounded in the left thigh on 18 December 1967.

7.  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.

8.  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.  While there are no medical records available describing the injury, the wound was properly recorded in the enlisted qualification record in accordance with Army regulations.

2.  Therefore, it is reasonable to presume that the injury meets the requirement for award of the Purple Heart.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained on 18 December 1967 as a result of hostile enemy action in Vietnam.

BOARD VOTE:  

                       GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

                       GRANT FORMAL HEARING

                       DENY APPLICATION




		                           
		        CHAIRPERSON