| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Ms. Beverly A. Young | Analyst |
| Ms. Irene N. Wheelwright | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Arthur A. Omartian | Member | |
| Mr. Thomas Lanyi | Member |
2. The applicant requests correction of his records to show the second award of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal.
3. The applicant states that he was evacuated to the rear for "trench foot" during the "Battle of the Bulge" in World War II. He requests award of the Bronze Star Medal based on his award of the Combat Infantryman Badge. 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.
4. 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 he initially served in the National Guard from 7 May 1934 to 6 May 1937. He enlisted in the Army on 14 December 1942 and completed infantry training. He served in Scotland from 11 August 1944 through 16 December 1945 and was honorably discharged on 31 December 1945.
5. The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows entitlement to one award of the Purple Heart.
6. Item 34 (Wounds Received in Action) on the applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he was wounded in France on 4 November 1944.
7. The applicant provided a copy of a record of hospitalization from the 177th General Hospital. This document shows he was diagnosed with "Trench foot, bilateral, mild" and was placed on limited duty due to trench foot.
8. The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the Combat Infantryman Badge in item 31 (Military Qualification and Date).
9. The Board noted that the applicant is entitled to the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars.
10. The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal as an authorized award. Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) shows he received campaign credit for participation in Northern France, Ardennes and Rhineland.
11. 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. 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 pertinent 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 23 August 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 face 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. Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroism and for meritorious achievement or service in military operations against an armed enemy. The Bronze Star Medal is authorized for each individual who was cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945 or whose achievement or service, during that period, was confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. An award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge is considered to be a citation in orders. This means, in effect, that the Bronze Star Medal is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during World War II. This provision did not go into effect until 10 September 1947 when Change 12 to Army Regulation 600-45 (Decorations) was published.
14. Army Regulation 600-8-22 authorizes a bronze service star, based on qualifying service, for each campaign listed in Appendix B of this regulation or listed in item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) of the WD AGO Form 53-55. The regulation states that authorized bronze service stars will be worn on the appropriate campaign or service medal including the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows entitlement to one award of the Purple Heart.
2. Evidence of record shows the applicant was diagnosed with mild trench foot during World War II. However, based on the Military Awards regulation, trench foot is not a basis for award of the Purple Heart. Therefore, there is no basis for granting the applicant a second award of the Purple Heart.
3. The applicant was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge during World War II. Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show the Bronze Star Medal based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.
4. The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he received credit for participation in three campaigns while assigned in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show three bronze service stars to be affixed to his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
5. In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records, but only as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected:
a. by deleting the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal from item 33 (Decorations and Citations) of the individual concerned WD AGO Form 53-55; and
b. by showing he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal (based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge) and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars.
2. That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.
BOARD VOTE:
INW____ TL______ AAO_____ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
Irene N. Wheelwright__
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2002072655 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20020827 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT IN PART |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | Mr. Schneider |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.0015 |
| 2. | 107.0014 |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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 | CY2007 | 20070004298
The applicant requests correction of his military records to show: a. Unfortunately, trench foot is not considered an injury that qualifies for award of the Purple Heart; therefore, there is insufficient evidence upon which to grant the applicant's request for award of the Purple Heart. Evidence shows that the applicants records contain administrative error which does not require action by the Board.
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 | 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 | CY2006 | 20060004955C070205
There are no orders in the applicant's military service records which show he was awarded the Purple Heart. There is no evidence in the applicant's military service records that shows he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, as a result of award of the Combat Infantryman Badge. 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 for meritorious achievement on 23 July 1945; b....
ARMY | BCMR | CY2014 | 20140016914
The applicant, the sister of a deceased former service member (FSM), requests correction of her late brother's WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge) to show award of the Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal, and Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp. Therefore, he is authorized award of the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp and his WD AGO Form 53-55 should be corrected to show this award. As a result, the Board recommends that...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003085443C070212
The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55, which was authenticated in his own hand, does not show the Purple Heart as an authorized award. The regulation also specifically states that trench foot will not be considered as meriting award of the Purple Heart. However, there is no evidence of record available to the Board, and the applicant has provided no evidence, which shows that he was diagnosed with frostbite during World War II.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060011983
The evidence clearly shows that the applicant was an infantryman, serving in an infantry unit during World War II and received combat infantry pay, indicating that he had served in combat. Therefore, his records should be corrected by awarding him the Combat Infantryman Badge. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. awarding him Combat Infantryman Badge; b. awarding him the Bronze Star Medal, based on award...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080019134
The applicant requests, in effect, award of a second Purple Heart and all medals he may be entitled to including, if possible, the Presidential Unit Citation for his service during the war in the Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge, and in Central Europe, and their addition to his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation). 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...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2007 | 20070012370
Based on the available evidence and the lack of corroborating evidence to show he was wounded in action by a hostile enemy, he is therefore not entitled to award of the Purple Heart and to have it added to his WD AGO Form 53-55. Evidence shows that the applicants records contain administrative error which does not require action by the Board. Therefore, the Board requests that the CMSD-St. Louis administratively correct the records of the individual concerned to show award of three bronze...