| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Kenneth H. Aucock | Analyst |
| Mr. Elzey J. Arledge | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Thomas B. Redfern III | Member | |
| Ms. Karen A. Heinz | Member |
2. The applicant requests award of the Purple Heart.
3. The applicant states that he needs a certificate to show that he received the Purple Heart. He submits a copy of a 14 July 2001 letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs informing him that they had not received the necessary documentation to support his claim of having received the Purple Heart.
4. 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.
5. The applicant was inducted into the Army on 7 December 1950, served in Korea, and was awarded the Korean Service Medal with one bronze service star, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. His report of separation does not show award of the Purple Heart. Item 29 of that report (Wounds Received as a Result of Action with Enemy Forces (Place and Date, if Known) contains the word, “Korea.” The applicant was released from active duty on 11 September 1952 with an honorable characterization of service. He had 1 year, 9 months, and 5 days of service, 8 months and 8 days of which was overseas.
6. Morning reports and hospital admission and disposition records show that the applicant was a member of Company F, 17th Infantry Regiment, and that he was admitted to the 629th Medical Clearing Company for a non-battle injury, frostbite to both feet, on 2 December 1951, and that subsequent to that date, he was transferred to an evacuation hospital.
7. Information from the hospital admission cards created by the Office of The Surgeon General show that the applicant was wounded in action on 31 August 1951, sustaining injuries to his leg, buttock, and hip. His unit is shown as the 17th Infantry Regiment.
8. The 17th Infantry Regiment was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the time the applicant was assigned to that organization.
9. Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides that the Good Conduct Medal is awarded to individuals who distinguish themselves by their conduct, efficiency and fidelity during a qualifying period of active duty enlisted service. This period is 3 years except in those cases when the period for the first award ends with the termination of a period of Federal military service. Although there is no automatic entitlement to the Good Conduct Medal, disqualification must be justified.
10. The United Nations Service Medal is awarded to members of the armed forces of the United States dispatched to Korea on behalf of the United Nations in the action in Korea. Personnel awarded the Korean Service Medal automatically establish eligibility for the United Nations Service Medal.
11. The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954.
12. As a matter of information, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, the Government of the Republic of Korea issued the Korean War Service Medal to pay tribute to eligible Korean War veterans for their historic endeavors to preserve the freedom of the Republic of Korea and the free world. On 20 August 1999, the Department of Defense approved acceptance and wear of this foreign award to eligible US veterans of the Korean War, or their surviving next of kin. The medal is provided at no cost to the veterans.
13. The Department of Defense has assigned responsibility to the Department of the Air Force for distribution of the Korean War Service Medal to eligible veterans or their surviving next of kin. To apply, veterans must provide a copy of their discharge paper (DD Form 214) to the Awards and Decorations Section, Headquarters, Air Force Personnel Center, 550 C Street West, Suite 12, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78150-4714. A sample request form is being provided to the applicant. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant was wounded in action in Korea on 31 August 1951. He is entitled to award of the Purple Heart.
2. The applicant served his country faithfully and honorably. He is entitled to award of the Army Good Conduct Medal for the period 7 December 1950 through 11 September 1952.
3. The applicant is also entitled to award of the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, the United Nations Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
4. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’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 that the individual concerned was awarded the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, the United Nations Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
BOARD VOTE:
__EJA __ __TBR __ __KAH__ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
___Elzey J. Arledge, Jr. __
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2002073324 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20020917 |
| 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. | 107.00 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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