2.  The applicant requests that his DD Form 214, Report of Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to show his foreign service time and the additional awards he earned with the 25th Infantry.

3.  He states that the record should show that he served in Vietnam and reflect the awards he should have received while serving in different operations with the 25th Infantry.

4.  The applicant’s military records are not available for review.  Information herein was obtained from alternate sources.

5.  He enlisted in the Regular Army for 3 years on 16 January 1967 and received a general discharge on 16 September 1969.  He had 275 days of lost time.  

6.  His DD Form 214, which is of extremely poor quality, does not show that he completed any foreign service tours.  It does show that he was awarded 2 Overseas Bars, the Vietnam Service Medal with bronze service star, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 device and Sharpshooters Badge with rifle bar. There appears to be other awards listed on the form but they are illegible.

7.  Unit morning reports (which are also of extremely poor quality) of the 362d Engineer Company, in Vietnam, obtained by the US Army Reserve Personnel Center, for 9 August 1967 and 5 March 1968 show entries pertaining to the applicant.  The entries are status changes affecting the individual but provide no indication of his date of arrival in or departure from Vietnam.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides, in pertinent part, that the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, a foreign award, was awarded to individuals who served in Vietnam for 6 months during the period 1 March 1961 to 28 March 1973, inclusive.

9.  The same regulation provides that the Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members serving in Vietnam and contiguous waters or airspace thereover after 3 July 1965 through 28 March 1973.  One bronze service star is authorized for each campaign in which the individual participated.

10.  Army Regulation 670-1, Wearing of Decorations, Service Medals, Badges, Unit Awards and Appurtenances, provides in pertinent part, that one overseas service bar is authorized for each period of 6 months’ active Federal service as a member of the US Army in Vietnam from 1 July 1958 to 28 March 1973.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Although the applicant’s records are apparently lost, collateral information seems to indicate that he served in Vietnam, probably during the 1967 to 1968 time frame.  However, there are no records available to substantiate the actual start and end dates of his tour there.

2.  Likewise, in the absence of records, it is not possible to determine if he is entitled to any awards other than shown on his DD Form 214 and referred to above.

3.  Since he was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, 2 Overseas Service Bars and there are morning report entries attesting to his presence in Vietnam, it would be appropriate to extend him the benefit of the doubt and award him one year of foreign service credit for duty in Vietnam.

4.  In view of the foregoing, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the individual concerned served in Vietnam for 1 year, 0 months and 0 days.

2.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.
BOARD VOTE:  

                       GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

                       GRANT FORMAL HEARING

                       DENY APPLICATION




		                           
		        CHAIRPERSON