RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-02024 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NOT INDICATED 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His deceased father’s record be corrected to show he was awarded 
the Purple Heart (PH). 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He is looking for documentation to show the location and date 
his father was injured during World War II in order to enter his 
name into the PH museum in Newburgh, New York. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of his 
father’s DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report 
of Transfer or Discharge; National Archives and Records 
Administration Form 13059, Transmittal of and/or Entitlement to 
Awards; certificate of retirement, death certificate, marriage 
certificate and a general power of attorney. 

 

The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit A. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

On 10 November 1942, the former member enlisted in the Regular 
Army. On 29 December 1945, he was demobilized. He served 
3 years, 1 month and 20 days of total active service. 

 

On 24 September 1948, he enlisted in the Regular Army. On 
25 June 1952, he was discharged with an honorable discharge for 
the convenience of the government (COG). He served three years, 
nine months and two days of total active service. 

 

The former member served a total of 6 years, 10 months and 22 
days of total active service in the Army. 

 

On 20 January 1953, the former member enlisted in the Regular 
Air Force. On 30 September 1966, he was discharged with an 
honorable discharge. He served 20 years, 7 months and 3 days of 
total active service between the Army and Air Force. 

 


The PH is awarded for wounds received as a direct result of 
enemy actions (i.e., gunshots or shrapnel wounds, hand-to-hand 
combat wounds, forced aircraft bailout injuries, etc). In 
addition, it is necessary that the wound required or received 
treatment by medical personnel. Indirect injuries do not meet 
the criteria for award of the PH. These include, but are not 
limited to, injuries received while seeking shelter from mortar 
or rocket attacks, aircraft bombings, grenades, and injuries 
incurred while serving as an aircraft member in a passenger 
status as a result of the aircraft’s evasive measures against 
hostile fire. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPSIDRA recommends denial. DPSIDRA states they were unable 
to locate any official medical documentation verifying the 
applicant was ever recommended for or awarded the PH, nor were 
they able to locate any official documentation verifying the 
applicant received an injury by direct result of enemy action 
during World War II (WWII). 

 

DPSIDRA notes that according to the VA Form 21-526, Veteran’s 
Application for Compensation or Pension, box 19 shows the only 
“sickness, disease, or injury” claimed by the applicant’s 
deceased father was a strep infection and an ulcer operation 

 

The complete DPSIDRA evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The applicant states no records indicating his deceased father’s 
unit, company, date of arrival into the conflict or departure 
from the WWII conflict seemed to have been found. He knows his 
father was sent to England after the injuries connected to WWII. 

 

The applicant wants to have the documentation or information 
regarding his father’s time spent in the European theater with 
the US Army in 1944-45, as well as, an explanation as to why he 
received a 10 percent disability. 

 

The applicant’s complete response is at Exhibit E. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

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. After a 
thorough review of the available evidence and the applicant’s 
complete submission, we find it insufficient to conclude the 
deceased member was injured as a direct result of enemy action 
or friendly fire as required for award of the PH. Therefore, we 
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 deceased member has not been 
the victim of an error or injustice. The applicant also 
requests documentation reflecting the location and date his 
deceased father was injured during World War II. Unfortunately, 
the Board is not the custodian of your father’s master military 
personnel records. You may obtain a copy by submission of a 
written request to the National Personnel Records Center, 
1 Archives Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63138. While we 
appreciate and honor the deceased member’s service to his 
country, in the absence of evidence substantiating that his 
deceased father was injured as a direct result of enemy action, 
we find no 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 Docket Number 
BC-2010-02024 in Executive Session on 3 November 2011, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 Panel Chair 

 Member 

 Member 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-02024 was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 25 May 2011, w/atchs. 

Exhibit B. Applicant's Available Military Records. 

 Exhibit C. HQ AFPC/DPSIDRA, Letter, dated 25 August 2011. 

 Exhibit D. SAF/MRBR, Letter, dated 16 September 2011. 

 Exhibit E. Applicant’s Rebuttal, Letter, dated 25 September 

 2011. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair