IN THE CASE OF:
BOARD DATE: 16 August 2012
DOCKET NUMBER: AR20120003176
THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE:
1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any).
2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any).
THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:
1. The applicant requests award of the Purple Heart.
2. He states his company commander submitted the paperwork for him to receive a Purple Heart, but he departed Vietnam before receiving the award.
3. He provides his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge). Although he refers to medical records, he did not provide any medical documents.
CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:
1. Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice. This provision of law also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse an applicants failure to timely file within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so. While it appears the applicant did not file within the time frame provided in the statute of limitations, the ABCMR has elected to conduct a substantive review of this case and, only to the extent relief, if any, is granted, has determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicants failure to timely file. In all other respects, there are insufficient bases to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing.
2. The applicant was inducted into the Army of the United States on 8 June 1971.
3. His DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) shows in:
* item 31 (Foreign Service) he served in Vietnam from 13 December 1971 to 12 December 1972
* item 38 (Record of Assignments) no record of the applicant being hospitalized in a patient status at any time
* item 40 (Wounds) no entries
* item 41 (Awards and Decorations) no award of the Purple Heart
4. His service record does not contain orders that show he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Vietnam Casualty Roster does not list his name.
5. He was honorably released from active duty on 7 June 1973. His DD Form 214 does not show award of the Purple Heart.
6. A review of the Awards and Decorations Computer-Assisted Retrieval System, an index of general orders issued during the Vietnam era between 1965 and 1973 maintained by the Military Awards Branch of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, failed to reveal any orders for the Purple Heart pertaining to the applicant.
7. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides 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 medical personnel, and the medical treatment must have been made a matter of official record.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant contends his company commander submitted the paperwork for him to receive award of the Purple Heart. However, his service record is void of evidence and he has not provided any evidence that shows he was recommended for or awarded the Purple Heart or that he was wounded as a result of hostile action and treated for those wounds. A review of ADCARS failed to reveal any orders for award of the Purple Heart pertaining to the applicant.
2. By regulation, in order to award the Purple Heart, it is necessary to establish that a Soldier was wounded in action, the wound required treatment by medical personnel, and the treatment must have been made a matter of official record.
3. In the absence of evidence that shows he was wounded or injured as a result of hostile action, there is an insufficient basis upon which to base award of the Purple Heart in this case.
BOARD VOTE:
________ ________ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF
________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
___x____ ___x____ ____x___ 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.
_______ _ __x_____ ___
CHAIRPERSON
I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case.
ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20120003176
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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20120003176
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