RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER: 02-01091
            INDEX CODE 131.05
            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His records be corrected to show that he was promoted to the grade of  staff
sergeant on 1 June 1944, rather than 31 July 1945.

_________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He was recommended for promotion with the rest of his  enlisted  crewmembers
by their pilot; however, since he was shot down while flying a mission  with
another crew and was interned as  a  Prisoner  of  War  (POW),  he  was  not
promoted with his fellow crew members.

The applicant states that during the period in  question,  it  was  European
Theatre of Operation (ETO) policy to promote one  rank  after  five  or  ten
combat missions, and he was on his 13th mission.  Due to  a  reduction  from
ten to nine crew members, he was flying with a make-up crew.   His  original
crew members were flying the mission beside him, completed the mission,  and
returned to base.  All five of the original enlisted crew  members  received
their promotions on or about, 1 June 1944.  However, since he was a POW,  he
was not promoted until 31 July 1945.  He  inquired  in  1946  regarding  his
promotion and was told there was no evidence of his promotion  prior  to  31
July 1945.  He assumed this was final until he recently  contacted  some  of
his fellow crew members and was told they were promoted in 1944.

In support of the appeal, applicant submits a copy of an order  listing  his
original crew members and a special order promoting one of the members on  1
July 1944.

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

_________________________________________________________________





STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant was inducted into the Army Air Corps on 14  January  1943  and
entered active duty on 21 January 1943.

The applicant was promoted to the grade of private first class effective  17
April 1943 and to the grade of sergeant effective 25 September 1943.

The  applicant  was  assigned  to  the  325th  Bombardment  Squadron,   92nd
Bombardment Group, Eighth  Air  Force  on  8 March  1944,  in  the  European
Theatre of Operation (ETO) as a B-17 (Flying Fortress) Engineer Gunner.

While on a bombing mission over  Cotfuss,  Germany,  on  29  May  1944,  his
aircraft was shot down and he was captured by the German army  and  interned
as a Prisoner-of-War (POW).

The applicant was returned to United States military  control  on  16  April
1945.

The applicant was promoted to the grade of staff sergeant effective 31  July
1945.

The  applicant  was  honorably  discharged  for  the  convenience   of   the
government (Demobilization) on 7  November  1945,  in  the  grade  of  staff
sergeant.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPWB states,  in  part,  that  while  the  applicant  may  have  been
deserving of promotion to the grade of staff sergeant  on  1 June  1944,  in
the absence of documentation to  the  contrary,  they  must  assume  he  was
discharged with the correct effective date of  promotion.   The  applicant’s
unreasonable delay regarding a matter dating back over 57 years has  greatly
complicated its ability to determine the merits of his  position.   However,
if the Board believes the only reason the applicant was not  promoted  on  1
June 1944, along with the other five  members  of  his  original  crew,  was
because he was in an MIA/POW status, it could correct his effective date  of
promotion to the grade of staff sergeant to 1 June 1944.

The AFPC/DPPPWB evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant states that the names of the four  enlisted  members  provided
to his Congressman in a letter, dated 27 June 1947, are not his former  crew
members and are unknown to him.  Logically there is no record  of  a  proper
promotion effective 1 June 1944 since the incorrect date used by  the  Miami
Beach, Florida, Redistribution Station #2, was 15 May 1945,  rather  than  1
June 1944.

The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at 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 error or injustice.  In this respect, we note a 1947  statement
from the former commanding officer of  the  92nd  Bombardment  Group  states
that during the period in question,  promotions  of  enlisted  members  were
made by squadron commanders and all enlisted members of their  combat  crews
were recommended for promotion at the same  time.   The  applicant  contends
that he would have been promoted along with his  five  fellow  crew  members
based on their completion of ten combat  missions;  however,  since  he  was
shot down while flying a mission with another crew and  was  interned  as  a
Prisoner of War (POW), he was not promoted until 31 July 1945.   In  support
of this contention,  the  applicant  submits  a  copy  of  a  special  order
promoting a fellow crew member on 1 July 1944.  In view of this,  and  since
the applicant completed a total of 12 combat missions, we believe he  should
have been promoted on 1 June 1944.  Therefore, we recommend the  applicant’s
records be corrected to the extent indicated below.

_________________________________________________________________

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  promoted  to  the  grade  of
staff sergeant effective 1 June 1944, rather than 31 July 1945.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board  considered  Docket  Number  02-01091  in
Executive Session on 11 June 2002, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:



                       Ms. Olga M. Crerar, Panel Chair
                       Mr. George Franklin, Member
                       Mr. Charles E. Williams, Jr., Member

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

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 27 Mar 02.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 22 Apr 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 10 May 02.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, dated 23 May 02, w/atchs.




                                   OLGA M. CRERAR
                                   Panel Chair

AFBCMR 02-01091




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 APPLICANT, be corrected to show that he was promoted to the
grade of staff sergeant effective 1 June 1944, rather than 31 July 1945.








JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency