RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  02-00101
            INDEX CODE:  107.00

            COUNSEL:  CLARENCE A. KNYFD

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His records be corrected to reflect award of the Distinguished  Flying
Cross (DFC).

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The entire  B-17  Bomber  crew  was  recommended  for  the  DFC.   His
commanding officer recommended him for the  DFC  for  his  actions  in
combat from Jun 44 to Nov 44.

In  support  of  his  appeal,  the  applicant  provided  congressional
correspondence, supportive statements, and his separation documents.

Applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Available documentation indicates that the applicant was inducted into
the Army of the United States (Air Corps) on 23 Mar 43.  His  date  of
entry into active service was 30 Mar 43.  He was honorably  discharged
on 23 Oct 45.

Applicant served overseas in the European Theater of Operations from 3
Jun 44 to 25 Dec 44.

He was awarded the European-African  -Middle  Eastern  Campaign  Medal
with three (3) Bronze Service Stars, Good Conduct Medal and Air  Medal
with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.  On 6 Apr 99, the American
Campaign Medal and World War  II  Victory  Medal  were  added  to  his
records.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommended denial.  AFPC/DPPPR noted  that  the  applicant
and his family have been requesting award of the DFC  since  1993  for
either the 2 Oct 44 mission (in which his aircraft was shot  down  and
the crew bailed out over Belgium) or for the period of Jun 44  to  Nov
44.

AFPC/DPPPR indicated that in 1998, a request for award of the DFC  was
submitted through congressional channels, with a signed recommendation
by a retired major who stated he was the aircraft commander on  the  2
Oct 44 mission.  No written recommendation was submitted at that time.
 On 25 Mar 99, The  Secretary  of  the  Air  Force  Personnel  Council
disapproved award of the DFC because the recommendation did  not  meet
the requirement for award of the DFC.  He received the Air Medal  with
three (3) Oak Leaf Clusters, and the orders were published on  31  Jul
44, 31 Aug 44, and 31 Oct 44.  It appears that the applicant  received
the Air Medal for each five combat missions he completed.   A  written
recommendation was not submitted until 10 Dec 98, when  the  pilot  of
the  2  Oct  44  mission  informed   the   applicant’s   congressional
representative that he was unaware that the  applicant  had  not  been
recommended for the DFC until they met at a reunion.  He  stated  that
the DFC was awarded for completion of 35 combat flight missions.   The
applicant  only  completed  28  missions.   Neither  the  recommending
official nor the applicant provided any documentation identifying  all
of the crew members or any documentation showing that all  other  crew
members  were  awarded  the  DFC.   Therefore,  the  basis   for   the
applicant’s claim that all other crew members of the 2 Oct  44  combat
flight  mission  received  the  DFC  is  unsubstantiated.   Since  the
applicant did not complete 35 combat flight missions, he did not  meet
the established criteria for award of the DFC.  Therefore, no  written
recommendation was submitted at that time.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant provided additional documentary  evidence  for  the  Board’s
consideration through his congressman’s office (Exhibit E).

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing  law
or regulations.

2.  The application was not  timely  filed;  however,  it  is  in  the
interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file.

3.  Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the
existence of probable error or injustice.  After a thorough review  of
the evidence presented, particularly the statements and  documentation
provided from members of the applicant’s  crew,  we  are  sufficiently
persuaded that he may not have been awarded the DFC  through  loss  or
inadvertence.  Therefore, in view of the  foregoing,  the  applicant’s
dedicated service and sacrifice for his country, and having  no  basis
to question the integrity of these individuals, we recommend that  the
applicant’s records be corrected to reflect award of the DFC.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that he  was  awarded  the
Distinguished  Flying  Cross  for  extraordinary   achievement   while
participating in aerial flight during the period ending November 1944.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number 02-
00101 in Executive Session on 11 Apr 02, under the provisions  of  AFI
36-2603:

      Ms. Peggy E. Gordon, Panel Chair
      Mr. E. David Hoard, Member
      Ms. Ann-Cecile McDermott, Member

All members  voted  to  correct  the  records,  as  recommended.   The
following documentary evidence was considered:

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 4 Jun 01, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 22 Feb 02.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 1 Mar 02.
     Exhibit E.  Letter from Congressman, dated 18 Mar 02,
                 w/atchs.




                                   PEGGY E. GORDON
                                   Panel Chair




AFBCMR 02-00101




MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF

      Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air
Force Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority
of Section 1552, Title 10, United States Code (70A Stat 116), it is
directed that:

      The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air
Force relating to , be corrected to show that he was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while
participating in aerial flight during the period ending November 1944.







    JOE G. LINEBERGER

    Director

    Air Force Review Boards Agency