RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2005-03315
            INDEX CODE:  100.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  1 May 2007

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His records be corrected to reflect his rank at the time of  discharge
as sergeant versus corporal.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The requirement to attend a class was to be demoted to  corporal.   He
attended the class and did not complete it.   Therefore,  he  believes
that he should have been discharged as a sergeant.

In support of the appeal, applicant submits a copy of his WD AGO  Form
53-55, a certificate and two  letters  from  the  Army  Review  Boards
Agency.

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

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant’s master personnel  record  (MPR)  may  have  been  lost  or
destroyed.  Based on the available documentation the  following  facts
are provided.

Applicant enlisted in the Army Air Corps  on  17  September  1942  and
entered active duty the same day.  He  performed  duties  as  a  clerk
typist.  His highest grade held was sergeant.  His separation document
shows the following:  He participated in Central Burma and India-Burma
battles and campaigns.  He  received  the  following  decorations  and
citations:  American Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal  and
World War II Victory Medal.  He was credited with 2  years,  8  months
and 22 days of continental service and one year, seven months and  six
days of foreign service.

On 4 January 1946, while serving in the  grade  of  corporal,  he  was
honorably  discharged  for   the   Convenience   of   the   Government
(Demobilization).

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPWB recommends denial.  They reviewed the limited records  and
found no documentation  concerning  his  reduction  from  sergeant  to
corporal.  An Enlisted Record and Report  of  Separation  reflect  his
grade at time of discharge as  corporal  and  highest  grade  held  as
sergeant.  The  record  also  contains  a  Final  Payment  Work  Sheet
reflecting grade as  corporal.   Therefore,  they  have  no  basis  to
recommend his grade be changed.

A complete copy of the evaluation is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant provided a statement saying the furthest  thing  on  his
mind when he was discharged on 1/4/46 was his rank; all he wanted  was
to go home.  He was asked at the time if he had  anything  wrong  with
him but he said no because he did not want to delay his discharge  any
further.  At the time, every time he drank  he  got  terrible  stomach
pains.  He lived with that until 1949 when he had his  first  bleeding
episode and was rushed to the hospital.   He  did  not  know  anything
about the VA.  In 1954, he was taken to a VA hospital  and  before  he
was discharged, he was advised that he  was  entitled  to  a  service-
connected disability which he has received ever since.   It  has  only
been in the last two years that he  thought  about  his  old  rank  of
sergeant.  He thought it would be nice  on  his  headstone.   Sergeant
would look better than corporal.  He is not looking for anything else.
 He gave up the sergeant rank because that was the rank in  effect  to
go into the ASTP Program which was cancelled about three months  after
he dropped out.

On 7/6/06, he and his wife will have been married for 60 years.   They
had 10 children.  One son died in September of 2005.

Applicant's response 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.  Based on the limited records and
the passage of time, it is not possible at this point to determine the
exact circumstances regarding his reduction from sergeant to corporal.
 We note his highest grade held was sergeant.  Therefore, in an effort
to offset any possibility of an injustice to the applicant, it is  our
opinion that the applicant’s records should be corrected to the extent
recommended 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 4 January 1946, he
was discharged in the grade of sergeant.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 9 February 2006, under the provisions of AFI  36-
2603:

                  Ms. Cathlynn B. Sparks, Panel Chair
                  Mr. August Doddato, Member
              Mr. Vance E. Lineberger, Member

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

   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 3 May 05, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 21 Nov 05.
   Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 2 Dec 05.




                                   CATHLYNN B. SPARKS
                                   Panel Chair







AFBCMR BC-2005-03315





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 on 4 January
1946, he was discharged in the grade of sergeant.






                             JOE G. LINEBERGER
                             Director
                             Air Force Review Boards Agency