RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2004-01347
                                       INDEX CODE:  107.00
      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                  COUNSEL: NO

      XXXXXXXXXXX                            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her father’s records be corrected to reflect his award of the  Distinguished
Flying Cross (DFC).
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Her father’s commander told her father  that  he  was  being  submitted  for
award of the DFC.  Her father was given the honor of squadron leadership  as
a “C” Flight Commander, flew 96 missions, and was part of  the  Invasion  of
Normandy.  After checking her father’s records, it seems his  award  of  the
DFC was overlooked.

In support of her application, she provides two  personal  statements;  and,
copies of her father’s appointment  to  Flight  Commander,  an  appreciation
letter to him  for  acceptance  of  an  appointment  in  the  Reserves,  two
photographs of her father as a pilot, and her  father’s  death  certificate.
The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

On 1 August 1942, the former member enlisted in the Regular Army at the  age
of 22 in the grade of private.  On 22 December  1942,  after  attending  Air
Corps Technical School, he was appointed an  Aviation  Cadet,  Army  of  the
United States.  On 3 November 1943, upon graduation as  an  Aviation  Cadet,
the former member was commissioned a second lieutenant, Army of  the  United
States, with an aeronautical rating of pilot and ordered to active duty  the
same day.  He was progressively promoted to  the  temporary  rank  of  first
lieutenant effective 15 October 1944 and to  the  permanent  rank  of  first
lieutenant effective 8 December 1945.   The  former  member  served  in  the
European Theater of Operations  under  the  9th  Air  Force,  358th  Fighter
Group, from 30 March 1944 to 9 February 1945.  His  combat  record  reflects
96 aerial missions and 218 combat hours in a P-47 aircraft.  On  8  December
1945, he was relieved from active duty to  accept  appointment  as  a  first
lieutenant, Officers’ Reserve Corps, Army of the United States.   He  served
2 years, 10 months, and 8 days  on  active  duty  of  which  10  months  was
foreign service.  The former member’s Report of  Separation  reflects  award
of the American Theater Ribbon; European, Africa, and Middle Eastern  (EAME)
Theater Ribbon; Air Medal (AM) with 16 oak  leaf  clusters  (OLC);  and  the
World War II Victory Medal.  The battles and campaigns  he  participated  in
were defense of England, Normandy, Southern France and Apennines.

While participating as a member of  the  Ready  Reserve,  the  decedent  was
promoted to the permanent grade of captain effective 1  July  1955.   On  15
November 1963, the decedent  was  voluntarily  transferred  to  the  Retired
Reserve in the grade of captain and credited  with  21  years  of  honorable
service in the Armed Forces.  On 26 May 1972, the  former  member  wrote  to
the commanding officer at the Air Force Records Center, requesting award  of
the DFC.  On 28 July 1972, the Air Reserve  Personnel  Center  responded  to
the former member’s request stating that his records did  not  show  he  was
recommended or awarded the DFC.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends disapproval.  DPPPR states that there is  no  evidence
in the decedent’s records of a recommendation for, or  award  of,  the  DFC.
The DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:


A copy of the Air Force Evaluation was forwarded  to  the  applicant  on  18
June 2004, for review and comment within 30 days.  As  of  this  date,  this
office has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

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 that  the  former  member,  while  assigned  to  the  358th
Fighter Group as a Pilot, flew 96 aerial  missions  with  218  combat  hours
over enemy-occupied  territory  in  Europe  between  30  March  1944  and  9
February 1945 and received the Air  Medal  with  16  Oak  Leaf  Clusters  in
recognition of his aerial achievements.   Many  of  the  above-cited  awards
specifically mention that the  awards  were  given  for  completion  of  the
required number of operational sorties against  the  enemy  or  a  destroyed
enemy aircraft.  We are further aware that during the  period  in  question,
airmen flying fighter aircraft assigned to the 8th Air  Force  were  awarded
the Air Medal for every 10 fighter sorties, the DFC for  every  100  fighter
sorties, and the DFC  for  every  15th  aircraft  destroyed.   The  specific
circumstances surrounding the  actions  for  which  the  former  member  was
awarded the 17 Air Medals he received, i.e., number of sorties flown  and/or
number of enemy aircraft destroyed, are unknown.  Nevertheless, in  view  of
the former member’s evident accomplishments and exploits in the  service  of
the Nation and to preclude a possibility of an injustice, it is our  opinion
that  any  doubt  in  this  matter  should  be  resolved   in   his   favor.
Accordingly, we recommend that his records be corrected as indicated  below.


________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to the  FORMER  MEMBER  be  corrected  to  show  that  he  was  awarded  the
Distinguished   Flying   Cross   for   extraordinary   achievement,    while
participating as a fighter pilot on a P-47 aircraft in 96  fighter  missions
against the enemy in the European Theater of Operations from 30  March  1944
through 9 February 1945.
________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 11 August 2004, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

            Mr. Thomas S. Markiewicz, Chair
            Ms. Martha J. Evans, Member
            Ms. Martha A. Maust, Member

All members voted to correct the records,  as  recommended.   The  following
documentary evidence for AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2004-01347 was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 18 Apr 04, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 9 Jun 04.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 18 Jun 04.




                                   THOMAS S. MARKIEWICZ
                                   Chair



AFBCMR BC-2004-01347




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 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, be corrected to show that he was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement,
while participating as a fighter pilot on a P-47 aircraft in 96 fighter
missions against the enemy in the European Theater of Operations from 30
March 1944 through 9 February 1945.





JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency