PURPLE HEART AWARDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R001400010068-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 4, 2003
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: May 27, 1966
• Content Type: MF

? 7 MAY 1966
,MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Deputy Director for Support
SUBJECT Purple Heart Awards
1. This is to summarize, bring up to date, and, hopefully,
conclude the subject of Purple Heart Awards for Agency personnel
assigned in Vietnam. The correspondence between Deputy Secretary
of Defense Vance and. Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson, and. the action
by the Inter-Agency Committee chaired. by Ambassador Holmes have all
been reviewed. with the Honor and Merit Awards Board. I have person-
ally discussed. with Chief of Support and Chief of Personnel of
FE Division the 15 March memorandum of Mr. Lansdale.
2. The Agency neither has nor had employees who served."und.er
competent authority in any capacity with an armed force." Conse-
quently, none are eligible for consideration for individual submission
to the Pentagon for the awarding of the Purple Heart. Second--it
seems clear that the Defense/State correspondence and the work of the
Holmes' group clearly shows that Lansdale's suggestion that any
employee in Vietnam could. be eligible has been considered and rejected.
Third--I think without question if the proposed "Crimson Heart" gets
off the ground. at all, we will have an opportunity to participate.
And. finally--I believe that we should proceed. directly with our own
program regardless of the outcome of the "Crimson Heart" exercise,
though should some of our people be found. to be eligible for the
"Crimson Heart", there is no reason why it couldn't be awarded. also.
25X1
Acting Director of Personnel
Approved For Release 20038 a cIA-RD