RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


      IN THE CASE OF:


      BOARD DATE:        19 OCTOBER 2005
      DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20050000185


      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.

|     |Mr. Carl W. S. Chun               |     |Director             |
|     |Ms. Deborah L. Brantley           |     |Senior Analyst       |


      The following members, a quorum, were present:

|     |Ms. Barbara Ellis                 |     |Chairperson          |
|     |Mr. Hubert Fry                    |     |Member               |
|     |Mr. Robert Rogers                 |     |Member               |

      The Board considered the following evidence:

      Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records.

      Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including advisory opinion,
if any).

THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant requests award of the Purple Heart.

2.  The applicant states he sustained a wound on his right hand in the
"Kumwar" Valley when his position was shelled by the enemy.  He states the
wound was treated in the field.  He notes that his award of the Combat
Infantryman Badge is proof of his being in combat and that he is a Korean
veteran with integrity.

3.  The applicant provides a copy of his 1954 separation document.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for
review.  A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members’ records
at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973.  It is believed that the
applicant’s records were lost or destroyed in that fire.  However, there
were sufficient documents remaining in a reconstructed record for the Board
to conduct a fair and impartial review of this case.

2.  The applicant's separation document indicates he entered active duty on

5 February 1951 and served overseas for approximately 13 months where he
was awarded, among other things, the Korean Service Medal and the Combat
Infantryman Badge.

3.  On 13 January 1954 the applicant was honorably discharged.  His
separation document does not reflect entitlement to the Purple Heart and
item 29 (wounds received as a result of action with enemy forces) reflects
"NONE."  The applicant authenticated the accuracy of the information on his
separation document with his signature in item 48.

4.  There were no medical records available to the Board or provided by the
applicant.  His name is not among a list of individuals reported as combat
casualties during the Korean War.  However, files maintained by the Office
of The Surgeon General, commonly referred to as the SGO File, does note the
applicant was treated for a cold and placed in quarters for 7 days in July
1953.

5.  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 by a medical officer, and the medical treatment must have been
made a matter of official record.
6.  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 United States
veterans of the Korean War, or their surviving next of kin.  The medal is
provided at no cost to the veterans.  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 (Department of Defense 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 separation document.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Unfortunately, there is no medical evidence which confirms that the
applicant was wounded in action.  In the absence of such medical evidence
there is no basis for an award of the Purple Heart.

2.  In order to justify correction of a military record the applicant must
show, 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.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

__BE ___  __HF  ___  ___RR __  DENY APPLICATION





BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable
error or injustice.  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.





                                  ______Barbara Ellis________
                                            CHAIRPERSON



                                    INDEX

|CASE ID                 |AR20050000185                           |
|SUFFIX                  |                                        |
|RECON                   |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DATE BOARDED            |20051019                                |
|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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