| 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 he suffered from frostbite during World War (WW) II.
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. His WD AGO Form 53-55 reflects that he was inducted on 9 March 1943, and served as an ammunition handler and rifleman in the European Theater of Operations from 3 September 1944 through 30 January 1945. He was honorably discharged with a Certification of Disability Discharge on 24 March 1945, in the rank of private.
7. His awards include the Good Conduct Ribbon and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theatre Ribbon with one bronze campaign star. He was credited with 1 year, 6 months and 15 days continental service, which equates to qualifying service in the American Theater for award of the American Campaign Medal.
8. Information obtained from hospital admission cards created by the OTSG reflects that the applicant was admitted to a hospital on 13 November 1944 with a battle injury diagnosed as trench foot caused by cold injury. It also reflects he was hospitalized for 131 days and that he was discharged or retired for disability and that there was a second diagnosis not identified.
9. Army Regulation 600-45 (Decorations) the regulation in effect at the time, provided in pertinent part, that the Purple Heart was 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. A wound was defined as an injury from an outside force, element, or agent. Element was further defined as weather and permitted an award of the Purple Heart to persons severely frostbitten while engaged in combat. Trench foot or immersion foot was not considered as meriting the award.
10. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, that the WWII Victory Medal is awarded for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946, both dates inclusive.
11. The same regulation provides that the American Campaign Medal is awarded for qualifying service in the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946. Qualifying service includes permanent assignment outside the continental United States, duty as a crewmember aboard a vessel sailing ocean waters for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, or duty outside the continental United States as a passenger or in a temporary duty status for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, or active combat against the enemy and was awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by a corps commander or higher, or service within the continental United States for an aggregate period of one year.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. 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.
2. Notwithstanding the denial of his request for the Purple Heart, his records substantiate that he is entitled to award of the WWII Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal.
3. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. That all of the Department of the Army records be corrected by awarding the individual concerned the WWII Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal.
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 | AR2002074831 |
| 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. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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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.
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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 | CY2002 | 2002072391C070403
The applicant states that his discharge paper does not reflect award of the Purple Heart that he received in France. 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.” 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.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003088093C070403
Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) indicates that the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment was cited for award of the Distinguished Unit Citation for the period 13 December 1943 to 12 January 1944 by War Department General Order 64-47. The evidence of record shows that the applicant suffered from trench foot during World War II and was hospitalized for 32 days. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2007 | 20070006219
The applicant requests that the military records of her father, a former service member (FSM), be corrected to show award of the Purple Heart. The FSMs military records are not available to the Board for review. Therefore, the Board requests that the CMSD-St. Louis administratively correct the records of the individual concerned to show award of the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, one bronze service star to be affixed to the European-African-Middle Eastern...
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ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003087229C070212
The applicant requests that his records be corrected to reflect his awards of the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal (BSM). Although there is no evidence to show that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart, the Board finds it reasonable to presume that given his award of the CIB and his being admitted to the hospital on 26 January 1945, for treatment of frostbite to both feet over a 90 day period, that he was injured as a result of combat operations during the Ardennes Campaign and...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2009 | 20090001197
IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 31 MARCH 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20090001197 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. The VA Form P-80a, dated 20 June 1946, which was provided by the applicant with his application shows that he was awarded a 10% (percent) disability compensation pension for "Trench Feet." The Board wants the applicant and all others concerned to know that this action in no way diminishes the sacrifices made by the applicant in service to the United States during World War II.
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.