AFBCMR BC-1986-01756-2




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 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, be corrected to show that on 11
August 1950, he was awarded the Airman’s Medal for heroism involving
voluntary risk of life at Fairfield-Suisan Air Force Base, California, on 5
August 1950.





JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency

                                 ADDENDUM TO
                            RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-1986-01756-2
            INDEX CODE:  110.02
      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX      COUNSEL:  NONE

      XXXXXXXXXXXXX    HEARING DESIRED:  YES

MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  17 December 2006

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His deceased brother be awarded the Medal of Honor  (MOH)  posthumously  for
his actions on 5 August 1950, or in  the  alternative,  the  Soldiers  Medal
(SM).

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

On 14 December 1948, the applicant’s brother enlisted  in  the  Regular  Air
Force at the age of 21 in the grade of private first class for a  period  of
three years.  He  was  progressively  promoted  to  the  grade  of  corporal
effective 10 August 1949.  On 11 August 1950, the applicant’s  brother  died
as a result of injuries and burns  received  as  a  result  of  an  aircraft
accident.

The applicant submitted a similar appeal, which was  considered  and  denied
as untimely by the Board on 23 July 1986.  For an accounting  of  the  facts
and circumstances surrounding the rationale for the earlier decision by  the
Board, see Exhibit E (with attachments A-D).

In his request for reconsideration, the applicant feels his brother  is  due
a medal in recognition of the  heroism  he  displayed  while  attempting  to
extinguish flames of a B-29 aircraft crash in 1950.  His heroic  efforts  to
save lives of fellow airmen led to his death when the  plane  exploded.   He
understands the MOH is normally related to combat  conditions;  however,  it
can be given for meritorious service outside of combat.   He  cites  another
serviceman who received the MOH for heroic service in attempting  to  rescue
a fellow officer from a flaming aircraft in 1920.

In support of his request, the applicant submits  a  155  page  binder  that
includes pictures, letters, and  articles  relating  to  his  brother.   The
applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit F.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends the applicant’s request be denied.  DPPPR  states  the
applicant  has  provided  no  evidence  to  support  his  brother  met   the
established criteria or that he was recommended for the  MOH  or  any  other
decoration within the prescribed time limitation.

DPPPR states the SM is a Department of the Army medal and the Air Force  has
no jurisdiction over this medal.

The DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit G.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was  forwarded  to  the  applicant  on  3
March 2006 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit H).   As  of  this
date, this office has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

In earlier findings, the Board denied the applicant’s request  based  on  an
untimely submission.  After a careful reconsideration  of  his  request  and
his most recent submission, the Board finds it is in the  best  interest  of
justice to excuse  the  applicant’s  failure  to  timely  file.   Sufficient
relevant evidence has been presented  to  demonstrate  the  existence  of  a
probable injustice; therefore, the Board finds  it  sufficiently  compelling
to warrant a revision of the Board’s earlier  determination  in  this  case.
The Board  unanimously  agrees  the  decedent’s  actions  do  not  meet  the
criteria for award of the MOH and notes the applicant’s request that if  the
MOH is denied to consider award of the Soldier’s Medal.   In  this  respect,
we note the Airman’s Medal (AmnM) was established  by  Congress  on  6  July
1960 to take the place of the Soldier’s Medal which, up to  that  time,  had
been awarded to Air Force personnel, and is awarded  for  heroism  involving
voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those  of  actual  combat
against an armed enemy.  After reviewing the  documentation  submitted  with
this application and noting the  incident  did  not  involve  actual  combat
against an armed enemy, we  believe  the  applicant’s  brother  demonstrated
heroic actions on 5 August 1950 which clearly  meet  the  criteria  for  the
AmnM.  On that date, the decedent responded to  a  B-29  aircraft  crash  at
Fairfield-Suisan Air Force Base.  In spite  of  the  potential  danger,  the
decedent ordered his men to clear  the  area,  out  of  harm’s  way,  as  he
personally manned the fire-fighting equipment in an  effort  to  subdue  the
flames and an attempt to  rescue  fellow  airmen.   He  voluntarily  did  so
without hesitation for his own
safety despite the fact that the aircraft contained 8,000 gallons  of  high-
octane gas, ten 500 pound bombs, and ammunition  which  could  result  in  a
tremendous explosion.  Moments later the  5,000  pounds  of  high  explosive
contained in the 10 bombs and the  8,000  gallons  of  high-octane  gas  all
exploded at exactly the same time.  While the  decedent  initially  survived
the explosion, he succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the  explosion
five days later.  The Board agrees the decedent’s  actions  were  above  the
call of duty and that his lifesaving  actions  risked  his  own  life  while
saving others.   Therefore,  it  is  the  Board’s  recommendation  that  the
decedent’s records be corrected as 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 on 11 August  1950,  he  was  awarded
the  Airman’s  Medal  for  heroism  involving  voluntary  risk  of  life  at
Fairfield-Suisan Air Force Base, California, on 5 August 1950.

________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 8 June 2006, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                  Mr. Wayne R. Gracie, Panel Chair
                  Mr. John B. Hennessey, Member
                 Mr. Todd L. Schafer, Member

All members voted to correct the records,  as  recommended.   The  following
documentary  evidence  for  AFBCMR   Docket   Number   BC-1986-01756-2   was
considered:

      Exhibit E.  Record of Proceedings, dated 28 June 1985,
                      with Exhibits A through D.
      Exhibit F.  Applicant’s Letter, dated 17 Jun 05, with atchs.
      Exhibit G.  Letter, AFPC/ DPPPR, dated 28 Feb 06.
      Exhibit H.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 3 Mar 06.




                                  WAYNE R. GRACIE
                                                   Panel Chair