| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Ms. Beverly A. Young | Analyst |
| Ms. Joann Langston | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Raymond V. O'Connor | Member | |
| Ms. Barbara J. Lutz | Member |
2. The applicant, as the son of a deceased former service member (FSM), requests correction of his father’s DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) to show award of the Purple Heart.
3. The applicant states that his father sustained wounds during combat in 1944, but he never received the Purple Heart. In support of his application, the applicant submitted a copy of the FSM's DD Form 214, a WD AGO Form 66-1 (Officers and Warrant Officer's Qualification Card), the FSM's death certificate and the applicant's birth certificate.
4. The FSM’s military records show that he served as an enlisted soldier in the Army National Guard from March 1935 to May 1941. He was appointed as a Reserve commissioned officer on 2 May 1941. The FSM honorably served on active duty for over 20 years and retired in the rank of lieutenant colonel on 31 August 1960.
5. The FSM's DD Form 214 does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award.
6. There are no orders in the FSM’s service personnel records which show that he was awarded the Purple Heart. Item 27 (Wounds Received as a Result of Action with Enemy Forces) on his DD Form 214 shows the entry "Injury to head during action in Bougainville, Solomon Islands in March 1944; Hospitalized July 1944 to Jan 1946 as the result."
7. The FSM's personnel records contain a WD AGO Form 63 (Report of Physical Examination), dated 16 April 1946, which shows the entry "Shell fragment wound, left ear – 1944" in item 12 (Medical History).
8. 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.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. There are no orders available to the Board which authorize award of the Purple Heart to the FSM. However, evidence of record shows he sustained an injury to his head in March 1944 as a result of hostile action. Therefore, he is entitled to award of the Purple Heart and correction of his military records to show this award.
2. In view of the foregoing, the FSM’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart.
BOARD VOTE:
JL_____ RVO_____ BJL_____ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
Joann Langston________
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2002072526 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20020822 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | Mr. Schneider |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.0015 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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