RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                            DOCKET NUMBER: 01-02836
                                             INDEX CODE:  107.00

                                             COUNSEL:  NONE

                                             HEARING DESIRED:  NO

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

_________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He should be awarded the DFC  because  the  bombardier  and  pilot  received
theirs fifty-five years ago.   A  crewmember  from  his  crew  who  flew  30
missions over Germany was recently awarded the DFC.  He was supposed to  get
his DFC in 1944.  If one member of a  crew  receives  the  DFC  all  members
should.

In support of his request, applicant submits a personal  statement,  a  copy
of an AFBCMR approved application for the DFC from a fellow crew member  and
a  copy  of  his  DD  Form  214.   Applicant’s  complete  submission,   with
attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant was inducted into the Army of  the  United  States  on  29 October
1942 and entered active duty on 12 November 1942, was assigned  to  duty  in
the Air Corps,  and  was  progressively  promoted  to  the  grade  of  staff
sergeant.  He performed duties as an Aerial Gunner on  30  bombing  missions
over enemy territory.  He  was  honorably  discharged  on  13 June  1945  by
reason of demobilization, having served 2 years, 7 months  and  15  days  of
total active military service, of which 10 months and 18  days  was  foreign
service.  His discharge document shows he had participated in  the  Northern
France and Rhineland campaigns.  He was awarded the  European-African-Middle
Eastern Campaign Medal and the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters.

On 12 June 2002, HQ AFPC/DPPRSP, corrected  applicant’s  record  to  reflect
the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 1 silver star and  2
Bronze Service Stars and the addition of the  American  Campaign  Medal  and
the World War II Victory Medal.
_________________________________________________________________
AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends the application be denied. AFPC/DPPPR states that  the
applicant did not state the period for which he  asked  to  be  awarded  the
DFC.  There is no indication that he was recommended for the  award  of  the
DFC and he did not provide a written, signed recommendation from  anyone  in
his chain of command or with firsthand  knowledge  of  his  accomplishments.
The AFPC/DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant states that in 1944 he and others were selected to  be  lead  crew
and would receive the DFC upon completion of 30 missions.  He hopes that  an
injustice is corrected for the remaining crew members.  There are  only  two
people left from the crew who haven’t yet received the DFC.   The  applicant
reiterated that he served on 30 missions with another  former  member  whose
request for a DFC was approved.  He states that  AFPC  has  erred  in  their
recommendation and that he should be  granted  the  medal  as  well  as  the
recognition of a certificate.  He as been trying to get  his  DFC  for  over
two years.  The applicant’s letters, with attachments, are 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 warranting the award of the  DFC.   In  this
respect, we note the applicant, while assigned to the Eighth  Air  Force  as
an Aerial Gunner, flew 30 combat missions over enemy-occupied  territory  in
Europe between 13 August 1944 and 8 April 1945 and received  the  Air  Medal
with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters in recognition  of  his  aerial  achievements.   We
also note that a crewmember on the  same  lead  crew  the  applicant  served
with, notably the radio-operator/mechanic/gunner, was recently  awarded  the
DFC.  Accordingly, in recognition of the  applicant's  achievements  in  the
service to his nation and to preclude a possibility of an injustice,  it  is
our opinion that any  doubt  in  this  matter  should  be  resolved  in  the
applicant's favor.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that he was awarded the  Distinguished
Flying Cross for  extraordinary  achievment,  while  serving  as  an  Aerial
Gunner on a B-24 aircraft in many bombardment missions against the enemy  in
the European Theater of Operations from  13  August  1944  through  8  April
1945.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board  considered  Docket  Number  01-02836  in
Executive Session on 16 October 2002, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. Albert F. Lowas Jr, Panel Chair
      Mr. Thomas J. Topolski, Jr, Member
      Mr. William Anderson, Member

The following documentary evidence for AFBCMR Docket Number 01-02836 was
considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, undated, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 6 June 2002.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 21 June 20021.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, dated 24 June 2002 w/atchs.





                                   ALBERT F. LOWAS
                                   Panel Chair

AFBCMR 01-02836




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 toXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, be corrected to show that he was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement, while serving as
an Aerial Gunner on a B-24 aircraft in many bombardment missions against
the enemy in the European Theater of Operations from 13 August 1944 to 8
April 1945.






           JOE G. LINEBERGER

           Director

           Air Force Review Boards Agency