RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
IN THE CASE OF:
BOARD DATE: 28 SEPTEMBER 2006
DOCKET NUMBER: AR20060001505
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. Linda Simmons | |Chairperson |
| |Mr. Paul Smith | |Member |
| |Ms. Alice Muellerweiss | |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 did not receive the Purple Heart for his
injuries and does not know the reason.
3. The applicant provides a copy of report of separation, a copy of his
separation qualification record, extracts from a publication by the 36th
Infantry Division Association, and a copy of his disability decision by the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
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. A Certification of Military Service indicates the applicant served on
active duty as a member of the Army of the United States between 23 April
1943 and
3 November 1944. He was released from active duty with an honorable
characterization of service.
3. Files maintained by the Office of The Surgeon General, commonly
referred as the SGO files, confirm the applicant was wounded as a result of
hostile action on 14 January 1944 while the applicant was serving in Italy.
There is no indication the applicant was ever awarded the Purple Heart.
4. 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.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
Files maintain by the Office of The Surgeon General are sufficient to
confirm the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action and as such
should be awarded the Purple Heart. His records should be corrected
accordingly by the issuance of appropriate documents to confirm the award,
including an award order and certificate.
BOARD VOTE:
___LS __ ___PS __ __AM ___ GRANT FULL RELIEF
________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:
The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant
a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all
Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by
awarding him the Purple Heart for wounds sustained on 14 January 1944 while
in Italy.
_____ Linda Simmons________
CHAIRPERSON
INDEX
|CASE ID |AR20060001505 |
|SUFFIX | |
|RECON |YYYYMMDD |
|DATE BOARDED |20060928 |
|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. | |
-----------------------
[pic]
ARMY | BCMR | CY2001 | 2001058162C070420
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. Therefore, the applicant is entitled to award of the Purple Heart (First Oak Leaf Cluster) and correction of his military records to reflect the dates of his two wounds received in action. 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 (First...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2004 | 20040000814C070208
The former service member’s military records are not available to the Board for review. In April 2003 the applicant was informed that his father’s military records had likely been destroyed by the 1973 fire in St. Louis, but could confirm that his father was entitled to the World War II Victory Medal, and an Honorable Service Lapel Button based on his military service during World War II. Although the former service member’s unit of assignment while overseas cannot be confirmed, the...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2004 | 04105550C070208
The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for review. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Evidence available to the Board confirms that the applicant was wounded in action and as such, is entitled to an award of the Purple Heart. His records should be corrected accordingly, and item 34 on his separation document should be corrected to show that he was wounded in Italy on 26 May 1944.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003087121C070212
In the absence of such evidence, there is no basis to correct the applicant’s records to show award of a third Purple Heart. However, while the applicant’s separation document already reflects entitlement to his two Purple Heart, information concerning his 13 June 1944 wound while in the European Theater of Operation (ETO) was omitted from item 34 of his separation document. Additionally, the evidence confirms that the applicant was awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge during World War II...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2007 | AR20070002231C071029
In this case, the ABCMR will conduct a review of the merits of the case to determine if it would be in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file. However, the available records indicate that after completing 2 years, 8 months and 8 days of net active service, he was honorably discharged from the Army on 13 January 1946, under the provisions of Army Regulation 615-365, due to demobilization. The applicant is entitled to award of the Purple Heart and his...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002071217C070402
The evidence confirms the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action during World War II and as such is entitled to an award of the Purple Heart. The Board acknowledges that in the absence of a separation document (WD AGO Form 53-55) the applicant will only receive the Purple Heart Medal, certificate and confirmation orders. b. in the event a copy of the applicant's World War II separation document becomes available in the future, that it be corrected to reflect award of the...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 03098415C070212
The Board considered the following evidence: Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records. The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for review. 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; and b. showing entitlement to the Bronze Star Medal as a conversion award based on his Combat Infantryman Badge, a Distinguished Unit Citation (now known as the...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2004 | 04104212C070208
The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for review. There is sufficient evidence to conclude that the applicant did sustain a concussion injury, as a result of enemy action on 30 June 1944 while in France, and as such is entitled to the Purple Heart and to have the wound information reflected in item 34 on his separation document. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. awarding him...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003083474C070212
The applicant requests that his records be corrected to reflect award of the Purple Heart. There were no other medical records available to the Board. The evidence does confirm that the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action on 21 December 1944 and as such, is entitled to an award of the Purple Heart and to have the injury recorded in item 34 on his separation document.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002070454C070402
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. Beyond the information contained in the SGO File, there were no other medical records available to the Board, or provided by the applicant. The evidence confirms that the applicant sustained an injury to his ankle as a result of hostile action on 25 January 1945 and as such should be awarded the Purple Heart...