RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS
IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2007-00263
INDEX CODE: 107.00
XXXXXXXXXX COUNSEL: NONE
HEARING DESIRED: NO
MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE: 4 AUG 2008
___________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:
He be awarded the Purple Heart (PH) Medal.
___________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
The deceased military member’s daughter requests that her late
father’s record be corrected to award the PH medal. She states he
spent five years of service during World War II. He was a prisoner-
of-war (POW) for 15 months. While serving as a pilot, his plane
crashed and he was injured during bailout; medical treatment did
not occur until he was released from the POW camp.
In support of applicant’s appeal, she submitted a copy of his WD
AGO Form 53-98, Military Record and Report of Separation,
Certificate of Service, dated 7 Jan 47; a copy of his Statement of
Service, dated 8 Feb 94; his certificate of death, and a newspaper
clipping.
Applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.
___________________________________________________________________
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
Applicant enlisted in the Army Air Forces on 18 Apr 42. On
28 May 43, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army
Air Forces and served until he was transferred to the Air Force
Reserve on 8 Jan 47. He was progressively promoted to the grade of
lieutenant colonel with a promotion service date of 6 May 58.
Applicant was missing in action (MIA) on 23 Mar 44 and was returned
to military control on 29 Apr 45. WD AGO Form 64, Physical
Examination for Flying, dated 13 Mar 45, states “…. Bailed out
Mar 44, enemy territory, ETO, no injuries sustained. POW
13 months. Denies all else.”
On 1 Feb 69, applicant was transferred to the Retired Reserve and
was credited with 24 years, 9 months, and 13 days of satisfactory
federal service. On 9 Apr 80, he was placed on the USAF Retired
List and was credited with 37 years, 11 months, and 21 days of
service for basic pay.
___________________________________________________________________
AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
HQ AFPC/DPPPR reviewed this application and recommended denial,
stating, in part, that applicant’s plane was shot down on
23 Mar 44, over Brunswick, Germany, and he was held as a POW from
23 Mar 44 to 29 Apr 45.
To be awarded the PH, a member must provide a detailed personal
account, eyewitness statements, and medical documentation to show
the wound received treatment by medical personnel and occurred as a
direct result of enemy action.
They found no detailed account of the applicant’s injury nor an
eyewitness statement submitted with his request. His DD Form 214,
states no wounds received in action.
HQ AFPC/DPPPR’s complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.
___________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant
on 16 Feb 07 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this
date, no response has been received by this office (Exhibit D).
___________________________________________________________________
THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:
1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing
law or regulations.
2. The application was not timely filed; however, it is in the
interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file.
3. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to
demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. We took notice of
the applicant's complete submission in judging the merits of the
case. Military members are entitled to award of the Purple Heart
Medal for wounds received as a direct result of enemy action and
for which medical treatment was or would have been required. No
evidence has been submitted to substantiate claim for award of the
PH. We therefore agree with the opinion and recommendation of the
Air Force office of primary responsibility and adopt its rationale
as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the
victim of an error or injustice. Hence, in the absence of evidence
to the contrary, we find no compelling basis to recommend granting
the relief sought in this application.
___________________________________________________________________
THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:
The applicant be notified that the evidence presented did not
demonstrate the existence of 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 AFBCMR Docket Number
BC-2007-00263 in Executive Session on 29 March 2007, under the
provisions of AFI 36-2603:
Mr. Richard A. Peterson, Panel Chair
Mr. James L. Sommer, Member
Ms. Sharon B. Seymour, Member
The following documentary evidence was considered:
Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 25 Jan 07, w/atchs.
Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
Exhibit C. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPPPR, dated 12 Feb 07.
Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 16 Feb 07.
RICHARD A. PETERSON
Panel Chair
AF | BCMR | CY2004 | BC-2004-00937
_________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: HQ AFPC/DPPPR advises that, to be awarded the PH, a member must provide detailed evidence/documentation to support he was wounded as a direct result of enemy action and received treatment by medical personnel. By the time he was liberated from the POW camp nine months later, his wounds had healed and no further treatment was necessary. Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 13 Jun 04, w/atchs.
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: 00-02119 INDEX CODE: 107.00 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be awarded the Purple Heart (PH) medal (first oak leaf cluster) for being a Prisoner of War (POW) in Germany from 16 Feb 45 to 29 Apr 45. Therefore, DPPPR recommended the applicant’s request for award of the PH be denied. As of this...
AF | BCMR | CY2006 | BC-2005-01738
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2005-01738 INDEX CODE: 107.00 (Member/Uncle) COUNSEL: None (Applicant/Nephew) 063-14-5768 HEARING DESIRED: Yes MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE: 29 NOV 06 _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His uncle be awarded the Silver Star (SS) [or some other fitting award - See Exhibit E] for heroic actions performed in World War II...
AF | BCMR | CY2008 | BC-2007-01675
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2007-01675 INDEX CODE: 107.00 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NOT INDICATED _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be awarded the Purple Heart (PH) Medal for an injury he sustained when his aircraft was shot down on 4 Aug 44, and any other awards to which he may be entitled. His available records reflect he enlisted in the Army on...
The applicant’s case file reveals that the Director, Personnel Accountability, HQ AFPC/DPW, requested the applicant’s discharge document be corrected to reflect he was a POW from 22 Feb 45 to 29 Apr 45. _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The Recognition Programs Branch, HQ AFPC/DPPPR, stated that the applicant’s request for award of the Purple Heart (PH) medal was forwarded to the Purple Heart Review Board (PHRB) on 4 Jan 00. ...
AF | BCMR | CY2007 | BC-2006-03298
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2006-03298 INDEX CODE: 107.00 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE: 24 APRIL 2008 _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be awarded the Purple Heart (PH) Medal for injuries suffered while being held a Prisoner of War (POW). ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE...
AF | BCMR | CY2014 | BC 2014 01321
While the applicant has provided a detailed account of how the injury occurred, he has not provided an eyewitness statement or medical documentation substantiating the injury was received and treated. In order to present a request to the PH Review Board, a detailed personal account of the circumstances surrounding the injury, medical documentation to substantiate medical treatment was received and if possible, an eyewitness account from an individual who saw the applicant injured. THE...
The applicant has not provided any documentation showing that he received medical treatment for either injury and there is no documentation in his medical file mentioning either of these injuries. Therefore, we conclude that any doubt should be resolved in this applicant’s favor and recommend he be awarded the PH for injuries sustained after bailing out of his B-24 bomber on 9 Feb 45. Exhibit C. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPPPR, dated 31 Jul 02, w/atchs.
AF | BCMR | CY2002 | BC-2002-03059
The applicant is unable to provide any documentation showing that he received an injury as a direct result of enemy action that required medical treatment, that he received any medical treatment at the time or later, or an eyewitness account by an individual who witnessed the injury occur. He has provided seven excerpts from his VA medical records from 1988 that show he claimed injury to his left ankle. Exhibit E. Letter from Applicant, dated 29 Mar 03, w/atchs.
AF | BCMR | CY2003 | BC-2002-03059
The applicant is unable to provide any documentation showing that he received an injury as a direct result of enemy action that required medical treatment, that he received any medical treatment at the time or later, or an eyewitness account by an individual who witnessed the injury occur. He has provided seven excerpts from his VA medical records from 1988 that show he claimed injury to his left ankle. Exhibit E. Letter from Applicant, dated 29 Mar 03, w/atchs.