| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Ms. Wanda L. Waller | Analyst |
| Mr. Fred N. Eichorn | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Melvin H. Meyer | Member | |
| Ms. Karen A. Heinz | Member |
2. The applicant requests award of the Purple Heart.
3. The applicant states that he was wounded in action during a bombing raid on 16 December 1944 in Holland. He contends that he was hit in his left leg, left great toe and left hand by anti-personnel bombs. In support of his application, he submits a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation); a copy of his Transcript of Military Record; four eyewitness statements; and one medical record, dated 30 August 1950.
4. The applicant’s military records have been lost or destroyed. This case is being considered using reconstructed records. The applicant's reconstructed records consist primarily of the WD AGO Form 53-55, a DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) from the U.S. Marine Corps, and limited medical records.
5. The applicant's reconstructed records show the applicant was inducted on
1 June 1943. He served as a clerk typist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 335th Ordnance Battalion in the European Theater of Operations from 18 October 1944 through 13 August 1945 and was honorably discharged on 9 December 1945. The applicant subsequently served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
6. The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars as authorized awards.
7. Item 34 (Wounds Received in Action) on his WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the entry, "None."
8. 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 during World War II.
9. Item 11 (List all significant diseases, wounds and injuries) of the applicant's WD AGO Form 38 (Report of Physical Examination of Enlisted Personnel Prior to Discharge, Release from Active Duty or Retirement), dated 8 December 1945, shows the applicant sustained a back injury at Camp Forrest in Tennessee in January 1944.
10. In support of his claim, the applicant provided four eyewitness statements, dated January 1951, from soldiers at the time in question. These soldiers attest that the applicant was wounded by anti-personnel bomb fragments on
16 December 1944 in Holland.
11. Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register), dated 6 July 1961, shows, among other information, occupation credit during World War II. This document shows the applicant's unit received occupation credit for Germany for the period 20 May to
5 July 1945.
12. 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.
13. Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Army of Occupation Medal is awarded for service of thirty consecutive days at a normal post of duty in a qualifying location. Personnel at a qualifying location as an inspector, courier, escort, temporary or detached duty are precluded from eligibility. For award of the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, qualifying service must have occurred between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955 and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal must have been awarded prior to 9 May 1945.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The Board considered the eyewitness statements provided in support of the applicant’s claim for award of the Purple Heart. However, in the absence of orders or other evidence of record showing that the applicant was injured or treated for wounds as a result of hostile action during World War II, the Board determined that these statements were not sufficient as a basis for award of the Purple Heart. Therefore, the Board determined that there is insufficient evidence on which to base award of the Purple Heart in this case.
2. The applicant's unit received occupation credit for Germany. Therefore, the applicant is entitled to correction of his WD AGO Form 53-55 to show award of the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp.
3. 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 by showing that the applicant was awarded the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp.
2. That so much of the application as pertains to award of the Purple Heart be denied.
BOARD VOTE:
FNE____ MHM___ KAH_____ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
_Fred N. Eichorn
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2003088533 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | |
| DATE BOARDED | 20030916 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.0015 |
| 2. | 107.0060 |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060004707C070205
A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members’ records at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973. On 6 February 2006, officials at the NPRC dispatched a letter to the applicant explaining that there was insufficient evidence to establish that the FSM’s wound was the result of enemy action and that the Purple Heart could not be awarded. While there is no doubt that the FSM was wounded in the ETO, he was wounded after hostilities had ended and the applicant has failed to...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002082274C070215
In support of her claim for award of the Purple Heart, the applicant provided two newspaper articles which state that the FSM was wounded in action on 2 November in Germany. Therefore, the FSM's military records should be corrected to show award of the Purple Heart for wounds sustained on 2 November 1944 in the European Theater of Operations. Therefore, the FSM is entitled to correction of his WD AGO Form 53-55 to show award of the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002076267C070215
I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual. The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55, which was authenticated in his own hand, does not show the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the “Foreign Service Clasp”, the Oversea Service Bar or the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp as authorized awards. There is no...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110018035
The applicant's military records are not available to the Board for review. His WD AGO Form 53-55 also shows in: * item 6 (Organization), he was assigned to Company C, 771st Tank Battalion * item 32 (Battles and Campaigns), the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns * item 33 (Decorations and Citations), the World War II Victory Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars, and Bronze Star Medal * item 34 (Wounds Received in...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2009 | 20090015649
e. 18 April 1945: No mention of foot injury. Page 23: "A couple medics carried me back to the same first aid station that wrapped my foot 10 days ago. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. awarding him the Purple Heart for wounds received in November 1944; and b. adding to item 33 of his WD AGO Form 53-55 the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, and the World War II...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003085691C070212
In support of his application, the applicant submitted a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation - Honorable Discharge, with a date of separation of 4 December 1945, a self-authored letter adding detail to his application, three witness statements, a certificate awarding him the Bronze Star Medal dated 26 February 1987, a copy of a Certificate of Merit awarded him by the Commander of the 99th Infantry Division, and three other documents. In this statement,...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080001857
The applicants military records are not available to the Board for review. Therefore, he is entitled to award of the Army of Occupation Medal, with Germany Clasp, and correction of his records to show this award. Therefore, the Board requests that the CMSD-St. Louis administratively correct the records of the individual concerned to show award of the Army of Occupation Medal, with Germany Clasp.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080018304
IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 17 MARCH 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20080018304 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant, as the son of a deceased former service member (FSM), requests that his late fathers WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) be corrected to show award of the Bronze Star Medal (based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge), the Purple Heart, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, and the...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060002983C070205
The applicant is requesting correction of an alleged error or injustice which occurred on 7 December 1947, the date of his discharge. Item 34 (Wounds Received in Action) of this WD AGO 53-55 contains the entry "none." Evidence shows that the applicant’s records contain administrative error which does not require action by the Board.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002076505C070215
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 during World War II. The applicant signed his WD AGO Form 53-55 on 15 January 1946 attesting to the fact that he was not wounded in action and that he was not entitled to the Purple Heart. That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the individual concerned was awarded the Bronze Star Medal...