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AF | BCMR | CY2002 | 0003286A
Original file (0003286A.doc) Auto-classification: Denied

                                 ADDENDUM TO
                            RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  00-03286

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  No

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Reconsideration be given to his requests  for  award  of  the  Purple  Heart
(PH).

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant was inducted into the United  States  Army  Air  Corps  on  14
November 1942.  He performed duty as a Flight Maintenance Gunner.  He was  a
Prisoner of War from June 1944 to September 1944.  On 24 May 1945,  a  Board
of Medical  Officers  found  the  applicant  unfit  for  continued  military
service because of psychoneurosis  resulting  from  combat;  persistence  of
anxiety prevents performance of  duty.   He  was  issued  a  Certificate  of
Disability for Discharge with an honorable characterization of service.

Effective 18 June 1987,  the  DVA  assigned  his  disability  rating  at  40
percent based on his service-connected nervous disorder.

On 18 July 2001, the Board considered and  denied  the  applicant’s  request
for award of the PH.  For an accounting of  the  facts  see  the  Record  of
Proceedings at Exhibit E.

On 26 November 2001, the applicant submitted a request for  reconsideration,
stating that he still deserves  the  award  of  the  PH.   To  support  this
assertion, the applicant provided  a  personal  statement;  copies  of  news
bulletins and copies of official  orders  issued  after  his  release  as  a
prisoner of war.  The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit F.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends the application again be denied.   DPPPR  states  that
to be awarded a PH a member must be wounded as  a  direct  result  of  enemy
action  and  must  receive  medical  treatment  by  medical  personnel.   In
February 1996, changes were implemented which  extend  the  eligibility  for
award of the PH to former prisoners of war (POW) that were held prior to  25
April 1962 and who suffered  wounds  or  injuries  at  the  hands  of  their
captors.  However, it  is  still  necessary  that  the  wounds  required  or
received treatment by medical personnel.

DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit G.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was  forwarded  to  the  applicant  on  4
February 2002 for review and response.  As of this  date,  this  office  has
received no response (Exhibit H).

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

After careful consideration of the applicant’s request and his  most  recent
submission, we are unpersuaded  that  a  revision  of  the  Board’s  earlier
determination is warranted.  We took note of the documentation  he  provided
in support of his request.  However, this information does not  substantiate
that the applicant had an injury that met the criteria for award of the  PH.
 Furthermore, there is  no  indication  in  the  available  service  or  DVA
medical records in the form of evidence of scarring or residuals of a  wound
the applicant may have received during the period under review.   Therefore,
we are left with the applicant's unsupported allegations, which do  not,  in
our view, provide an adequate basis for approval of  the  requested  relief.
While we are not unmindful or unappreciative of the applicant’s  service  to
his Nation, in the absence of  the  above-cited  medical  documentation,  we
agree with the opinion of the Air Force and  find  no  compelling  basis  to
warrant favorable consideration of this application.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:

The applicant be notified that the evidence presented  did  not  demonstrate
the existence of probable material error or injustice; that the  application
was denied without a personal appearance;  and  that  the  application  will
only be reconsidered  upon  the  submission  of  newly  discovered  relevant
evidence not considered with this application.

_________________________________________________________________





The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 20 March 2002, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. David C. Van Gasbeck, Panel Chair
      Ms. Brenda L. Romine, Member
      Ms. Martha Maust, Member

The following documentary evidence was  considered  during  this  review  of
AFBCMR Docket Number 00-03286:

      Exhibit E.  Record of Proceedings, dated 19 July 2001,
                with Exhibits.
      Exhibit F.  Applicant’s Letter, dated 26 November 2001, with
                attachments.
    Exhibit G.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 17 January 2002.
    Exhibit H.  Letter, AFBCMR, dated 4 February 2002.





                                   DAVID C. VAN GASBECK
                                   Panel Chai

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