| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Kenneth H. Aucock | Analyst |
| Mr. John N. Slone | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Donald P. Hupman, Jr. | Member | |
| Mr. William D. Powers | Member |
APPLICANT REQUESTS: Award of the Purple Heart.
APPLICANT STATES: That he was injured while in the service. He provides a copy of a 2 October 2001 VA rating decision to support his request.
EVIDENCE OF RECORD: The applicant's military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973. Information herein was obtained from alternate sources.
The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation), shows that the applicant was inducted into the Army on 15 April 1943, served in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II from January 1944 to December 1945, and was discharged on 6 January 1946. That form shows the applicant’s organization as the 532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment; that he participated in the New Guinea and Southern Philippines campaigns; and that he was awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal with two bronze stars, the Marksman Badge with rifle bar, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button for World War II. That form does not show award of the Purple Heart, nor does it show that he was wounded in action.
On 21 December 1992 the Army Reserve Personnel Center at St. Louis authorized the issuance to the applicant of the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars and one arrowhead, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal with Japan clasp, the Philippine Liberation Medal with two bronze service stars, the Honorable Service Lapel Button for World War II, and the Marksman Badge with rifle bar. It also informed him that he was authorized the Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation.
In a 2 October 2001 rating decision, the VA indicated that the applicant stated that while aboard a LST (landing ship, tank), they were hit by a 75 mm [round], and that he had blood all over himself, but did not realize that he had been hit. The VA indicated that his service medical records showed no evidence of treatment for wounds to the head. The VA indicated that a 21 August 2001 examination showed that the applicant had a small retained shrapnel in his left face, and stated that the evidence showed that the applicant possibly suffered from a wound to the left side of the head while in the service.
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). The availability of the information to the NPRC received considerable publicity by the various veterans service organizations. It was widely believed that these tapes would become a valuable substitute for the records lost in the NPRC fire of 1973. It is estimated that the SGO files document 95 percent of all hospitalized battle casualties from World War II and the Korean war. Information from those hospital cards shows that the applicant was treated in August and in September 1944, both times for non-battle related diseases. Searches of these files fail to show that the applicant was wounded or injured as a result of enemy action.
Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides 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.
The Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register shows that the
532nd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment participated in three assault landings, two in New Guinea in April and May 1994, and one in Leyte Island in October 1944. That organization was awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its actions from October 1944 to July 1945. It served as an occupation force in Japan from 25 November to 5 December 1945.
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. Notwithstanding the information provided in the VA rating decision, there is no evidence to show that the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action. There is insufficient evidence to grant the applicant’s request for award of the Purple Heart.
2. The applicant has submitted neither probative evidence nor a convincing argument in support of his request.
3. In order to justify correction of a military record the applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust. The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy that requirement.
4. 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.
NOTE: The Army Review Boards Agency in St. Louis is requested to correct the applicant’s records to show award of the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars and one arrowhead, the Army of Occupation Medal with Japan clasp, and the Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation.
BOARD VOTE:
________ ________ ________ GRANT
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
__JNS _ __DPH __ __WDP__ DENY APPLICATION
| CASE ID | AR2002073217 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20020912 |
| 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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