APPLICANT REQUESTS:  That his record be corrected to reflect the correct social security number and to show that he was awarded the Presidential Citation and the combat badge.  (It is presumed that the applicant is referring to the Presidential Unit Citation and the Combat Infantryman Badge.)

APPLICANT STATES:  That the awards were not listed on his separation document, and his social security number was typed incorrectly.  In support of his request he provides a copy of his social security card.

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant's military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Information herein was obtained from reconstructed records.

He was inducted on 21 July 1944 and served 5 months and 16 days in the European Theater of Operations.  He completed infantry basic training but his military occupational specialty was light truck driver.  He was honorably discharged on 30 June 1946 as a Technician 4th Grade.

His awards include the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the American Theater Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Marksman Badge with rifle bar.

The applicant’s WD AGO Form 100, Separation Qualification Record, reflects the first three digits of his social security number as ….  The social security card that he provided shows the first three digits as ...  The remaining six digits of the social security number on the WD AGO Form 100 and the social security card are the same.

The available records contain no evidence to indicate that he was recommended for or awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Presidential Unit Citation.

Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides that the primary requirement for award of a decoration is that a formal recommendation be prepared and introduced into official military channels within 2 years of the act, achievement, or service to be recognized.  The sole exception to the 2-year time limit occurs when there is conclusive evidence that a formal recommendation was submitted but was lost, or through inadvertence was never acted on by proper authority.

The same regulation provides, in pertinent part, that to be eligible for the Combat Infantryman Badge, an individual must be an infantryman with an infantry military occupational specialty and must perform primary duty as an infantryman, as a member of an infantry unit of brigade or smaller size, during any period in which that unit was engaged in ground combat.  Battle participation credit alone is not sufficient.

The Presidential Unit Citation is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after 7 December 1941.  The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of the Distinguished Service Cross to an individual.  Recommendations will be submitted through normal military channels.  Approval authority is vested solely with the President of the United States unless further delegated by him.

DISCUSSION:  Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:

1.  There is no evidence in the available records to indicate that he was recommended for or awarded the Presidential Unit Citation or the Combat Infantryman Badge, or that such recommendations were submitted but lost or inadvertently not acted upon by proper authority.

2.  In order to justify correction of a military record the application must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust.  The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy the aforementioned requirement.

3.  In view of the foregoing, there appears to be no basis for granting the applicant’s request.

DETERMINATION:  The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.

NOTE:  The Commander Army Reserve Personnel Center will be requested to correct the applicant’s social security number to that shown on the social security card furnished with his application.

BOARD VOTE:

                       GRANT          

                       GRANT FORMAL HEARING

                       DENY APPLICATION




						Karl F. Schneider
						Acting Director