| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Edmund P. Mercanti | Analyst |
| Mr. Fred N. Eichorn | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Melvin H. Meyer | Member | |
| Ms. Barbara J. Ellis | Member |
APPLICANT REQUESTS: That he be awarded the Purple Heart.
APPLICANT STATES: He suffered from frostbite while on outpost duty because winter equipment could not be brought to his unit.
EVIDENCE OF RECORD: The applicant's military records could not be located and are presumed to have been destroyed in the fire at the records repository in 1973. The following information was derived from documents provided by the applicant himself and from files from the Office of The Surgeon General.
On 24 November 1951 the applicant, a private first class serving in Korea, was hospitalized for frostbite which he incurred while in action against the enemy near San Jon, North Korea. His frostbite was treated by amputating several of his toes.
He was considered by a physical evaluation board on 29 July 1952.
A health record research project, commonly referred to as the "SGO Files", involved transposing the hospital admission card data from the periods of World War II and the Korean conflict onto magnetic tape. In 1988 the National Research Council made these tape files available to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). Searches of these files confirm that the applicant had his toes amputated as a result of frostbite and he was separated due to physical disability.
Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for wounds sustained as a 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.
Paragraph 2-8 of this regulation states that frostbite and trenchfoot are conditions which clearly do not qualify for award of the Purple Heart.
DISCUSSION: Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record and applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:
1. The applicant was not wounded in combat. He lost his toes from frostbite, a condition which is specifically precluded from award of the Purple Heart.
2. In view of the foregoing, there is no basis for granting the applicant's request.
DETERMINATION: The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.
BOARD VOTE:
________ ________ ________ GRANT
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
___fne __ ___mhm _ ___bje __ DENY APPLICATION
| CASE ID | AR2001055103 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20011018 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | DENY |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.00 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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