| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Walter Avery, Jr. | Analyst |
| Mr. John N. Slone | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Ronald E. Blakely | Member | |
| Mr. Lawrence Foster | Member |
2. The applicant requests that he be awarded the Purple Heart.
3. The applicant states that his discharge paper does not reflect award of the Purple Heart that he received in France.
4. In support of his request, he submits a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation).
5. The applicant's military records were lost or destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center. Information herein was derived from information furnished by the applicant or obtained from the hospital admission cards created by the Office of The Surgeon General (OTSG).
6. The applicant was inducted on 30 April 1943, his military occupation specialty was clerk general, and he served in the European Theater of Operations from 11 August 1944 through 17 December 1945. He was honorably discharged at demobilization on 4 January 1946, in the rank of private first class.
7. His WD AGO Form 53-55 reflects that he was awarded the American Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon, and the World War (WW) II Victory Medal.
8. Information obtained from hospital admission cards created by the OTSG reflects that the applicant was admitted to a hospital on 27 January 1945 for cold injury, ground type. The injury is listed as a battle injury. The applicant was diagnosed with trench foot caused by reduced temperature. His hospital stay was 55 days.
9. Immersion (Trench) Foot is an injury due to prolonged exposure to wet/cold at temperatures above freezing. Immersion foot can be prevented by changing socks frequently and keeping the feet and boots dry. Definition obtained from www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/ (Merck Manual).
10. Frostbite is an injury due to freezing of tissue cells. Frostbite of extremities occurs in extreme cold. Definition obtained from www.merck. com/pubs /mmanual_home/ (Merck Manual).
11. 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. Paragraph 2-8b(5)(a) of this regulation states, in part, that “Frostbite or trench foot injuries” do not “qualify for award of the Purple Heart.”
12. While award of the Purple Heart for frostbite injuries is currently prohibited, such injuries were previously a basis for the award. Until 1951 Army Regulation 600-45, which governed the award of Army decorations, stated that for the purpose of considering an award of the Purple Heart, a “wound” is defined as an injury to any part of the body from an outside force, element, or agent sustained while in action in the fact of the armed enemy or as a result of a hostile act of such enemy. An “element” pertains to weather and the award of this decoration to personnel who were severely frostbitten while actually engaged in combat is authorized.
13. The same regulation provides that a Bronze Service Star, based on qualifying service for each campaign listed in Appendix B of this regulation, will be worn on the appropriate service medal. A Silver Service Star is worn to indicate five campaigns. In the applicant’s case, his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon should reflect one Silver Service Star and two Bronze Service Stars.
14. Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) shows the unit to which the applicant was assigned, the 376th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division, was awarded Occupation credit for Germany for the period 2 May – 14 August 1945 and participation in the Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Northern Apennines; Rhineland and Ardennes-Alsace Campaigns.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. It is noted that the applicant was hospitalized for 55 days for a cold weather injury, and the Board did consider the possibility that the applicant had suffered a frostbite injury, which would entitle him to the Purple Heart. However, the only evidence available is the OTSG file which indicates that the applicant was diagnosed and treated for trench foot and as such does not meet the criterion for award of the Purple Heart.
2. Notwithstanding the denial of his request for the Purple Heart, his records substantiate that he is entitled to the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp and one Silver and 2 Bronze Service Stars to be worn on his European-African-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon. He is therefore entitled to have these awards shown on his WD AGO 53-55.
3. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. That the WD AGO Form 53-55 of the individual concerned be corrected by showing that he was awarded the, the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp and one Silver and 2 Bronze Service Stars to be worn on his European-African-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon.
2. That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.
BOARD VOTE:
___lf____ ___jns___ ____reb_ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
__________John N. Slone______
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2002072391 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20020225 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1.107.015 | |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
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| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2009 | 20090004313
The WD AGO Form 100 shows the applicant, a staff sergeant, served as a platoon sergeant engaged in combat during the Southern France Campaign. Considerable discussion was undertaken during WW II on the issue of trench foot, immersion foot, and frostbite. However, since the awards regulation was never changed to allow award of the Purple Heart for trench foot, there is an insufficient basis to grant the applicant's requested relief.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002073332C070403
There are no entries concerning trench feet or frostbite. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, for award of the POW Medal. The definitions and causes of trench foot and frostbite are very similar.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002082244C070215
There is no evidence in the available records that shows the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart or was wounded as a result of hostile action. Also, the Board notes that the applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows one bronze service star as an authorized award. Medical evidence of record shows the applicant was diagnosed with trench foot on 22 October 1944.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060011004
The applicant provides a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation - Honorable Discharge), with an effective date of 21 August 1945; Army of the United States Honorable Discharge Certificate, dated 21 August 1945; Disabled American Veterans, National Service Office, St. Petersburg, Florida, letter, dated 14 July 2006; and 4 pages of VISTA Electronic Medical Documentation, Progress Notes, printed on 26 January 2006. The applicant was awarded the Combat...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002072655C070403
The applicant requests correction of his records to show the second award of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal. In support of his application, he submits a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation), his Honorable Discharge Certificate, a record of hospitalization, and a newspaper article. Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show the Bronze Star Medal based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002074831C070403
Information obtained from the OTSG files indicates that the applicant was diagnosed with trench foot and not frostbite and as such does not meet the criterion for award of the Purple Heart. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below. __ lf _____ ____ jns __ ___ reb __ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
ARMY | BCMR | CY2012 | 20120006206
The applicant's military records are not available to the Board for review. The available medical records show that the applicant was diagnosed with trench foot at the time in question by competent military medical authorities. Therefore, the Board determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned to show the Purple Heart.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060000586C070205
In support of his application, the applicant submitted a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation - Honorable Discharge. The applicant provided no service medical records to show he was hospitalized to receive medical treatment for frostbite or frozen feet during World War II. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. awarding the applicant the Bronze Star Medal based on his...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2007 | 20070003859C071029
The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for review. The available evidence of record shows the applicant served in five campaigns and is therefore authorized to wear one silver service star on his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. As a result, the Board recommends that the WD AGO Form 53-55 of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. deleting the entry “European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal”; and b. adding the POW Medal, the American...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2015 | 20150012856
Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). A record pertaining to the applicant is included in this file and it shows he was detained as a POW from 4 December 1944 to 29 May 1945 while assigned to the 398th Infantry Regiment. In the absence of the applicants official military personnel file (OMPF), the evidence in this case is jointly derived from his WD AGO Form 53-55, witness statement and accounts, NARA WWII POW Data File, 1st Battalion...