| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr. | Analyst |
| Mr. John N. Slone | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Thomas B. Redfern | Member | |
| Mr. Lester Echols | Member |
APPLICANT REQUESTS: Award of the Purple Heart.
APPLICANT STATES: That he was denied his Purple Heart in 1945 and that it was not put on his records. He also states that he was never presented the Purple Heart while he was in his unit or the 48th General Hospital in Paris, France. He also contends that he has not received the other medal to which he is entitled.
EVIDENCE OF RECORD: The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973. Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and show the applicant entered active duty on 23 August 1943. He served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations from 11 March 1944 through 18 October 1945. He was honorably separated on 5 November 1945.
The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation), which is authenticated in his own hand, does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award in item 33 (Decorations and Citations).
Item 34 (Wounds Received in Action) of the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the entry “None”.
There are no orders in the records available to the Board which show that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart. There also is no evidence in his records that he was wounded or treated for wounds as a result of hostile action.
Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound 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, and the medical treatment must have been made a matter of official record.
DISCUSSION: Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:
1. There is no evidence of record which shows that the applicant was wounded or treated for wounds as a result of hostile action during World War II. There are no orders which show that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart.
2. The applicant authenticated his discharge document at the time of his separation thereby attesting to the facts that he was not awarded the Purple Heart and was not wounded as a result of hostile action.
3. In view of the applicant's own signature authenticating that he received no wounds in action and in view of the absence of any military order or military medical record showing the applicant was wounded or treated for wounds as a result of hostile action, the Board found that there is insufficient evidence upon which to base award of the Purple Heart in this case. Therefore, there is no basis to correct the applicant’s records to show award of the Purple Heart.
| CASE ID | AR2001062102 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20011220 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | DENY |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | MR CHUN |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.0015.0000 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003084078C070212
The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein. APPLICANT REQUESTS: In effect, correction of his military records to show award of the Purple Heart. The applicant authenticated his WD AGO Form 53-55, which did not show award of the Purple Heart or wounds sustained in action.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002070354C070402
The WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) contained in the applicant’s records, which was authenticated in his own hand, does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound sustained as a result of hostile action. Therefore, the Board determined that there is insufficient evidence on which to base award of the Purple Heart in this case.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002081515C070215
The applicant's service medical records do not show treatment for wounds or injuries resulting from hostile action. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound sustained as a result of hostile action. Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show this award.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002081083C070215
The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein. EVIDENCE OF RECORD : The applicant's military records show: Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart is awarded for a wound sustained as a result of hostile action.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003086811C070212
The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein. APPLICANT REQUESTS: In effect, correction of his military records to show award of the Purple Heart. The Board considered the witness statement submitted by the applicant’s former unit member and determined that the statement does not contain sufficient evidence to justify award of the Purple Heart.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2001 | 2001053039C070420
The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein. EVIDENCE OF RECORD : The applicant's military records show: This WD AGO Form 53-55 does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002079565C070215
I certify that hereinafter is recorded the record of consideration of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual. The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein. However, this certificate is not sufficient by itself as a basis for award of the Purple Heart, in view of evidence of record which shows the applicant was not wounded.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002072733C070403
The applicant requests correction of his records to show that he sustained wounds to his right leg in action during World War II. There are no orders in records available to the Board which show that he was awarded the Purple Heart. The Board also noted that the applicant authenticated his WD AGO Form 53-55 at the time of his separation from the Army and this document did not show award of the Purple Heart or that he was wounded as a result of hostile action.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2001 | 2001052167C070420
I certify that hereinafter is recorded the record of consideration of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual. The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein. There is no evidence in the available records which show the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart or was wounded as a result of hostile action.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002071827C070403
In accordance with Army Regulation 15-185, the application and the available military records pertinent to the corrective action requested were reviewed to determine whether to authorize a formal hearing, recommend that the records be corrected without a formal hearing, or to deny the application without a formal hearing if it is determined that insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice. The applicant requests...