RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 
 
DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2012-00178 
IN THE MATTER OF: 
 
COUNSEL:  NONE 
    
 
HEARING DESIRED: NOT INDICATED 
   
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 
 
His  DD  Form  214,  Armed  Forces  of  the  United  States  Report  of 
Transfer or Discharge, be corrected as follows: 
 
1.  Reflect his Vietnam Service.   
 
2.  Reflect award of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM).  
 
3.  Reflect  award  of  the  Air  Force  Outstanding  Unit  Award  with 
Valor device (AFOUA w/V). ADMINISTRATIVELY CORRECTED 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 
 
He  was  stationed  at  Ching  Chuan  Kang  Air  Base,  Taiwan  from 
16 July 1969  thru  8  October  1970.    During  that  timeframe  he 
participated  in  three  temporary  duty  (TDY)  assignments  to  the 
Republic of Vietnam.  On his first TDY to Tan Son Nhut Air Base 
in late November 1969, he crew-chiefed several planes and stayed 
in  the  transit  barracks  behind  the  civilian  air  terminal 
involved  in  OPERATION  MENU.    They  hauled  Agent  Orange  in  big 
rubber  bladders.    He  was  in  Saigon  22  thru  23  February 1970, 
when  the  United  States  embassy  was  attacked  four  blocks  away 
from  where  they  were  stationed.    During  his  second  TDY  to 
Vietnam  in  April  1970,  they  evacuated  refugees  and  he  was 
involved in the invasion of Cambodia and almost died on April 6th 
in a rocket attack on Saigon.  On his third TDY, he returned to 
Saigon  and  was  involved  in  OPERATION  JEFFERSON  GLENN.    His  pay 
records  show  combat  and  hazardous  duty  pay  for  8-9  months  in 
1970.      He  needs  to  verify  Vietnam  service  for  assignment  of 
proper awards, medals and veteran’s benefits.   
 
In  support  of  his  request,  the  applicant  provides  a  personal 
statement,  a  copy  of  a  document  extracted  from  his  military 
personnel records and a notarized letter from a former coworker 
attesting to his service in the Republic of Vietnam. 
 
The  applicant’s  complete  submission,  with  attachments,  is  at 
Exhibit A.  
STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

 
 

 

 
 
The  applicant  is  a  former  member  of  the  Regular  Air  Force  who 
served from 4 December 1968 to 1 December 1972.  He was trained 
and  served  as  an  Aircraft  Maintenance  Specialist  and  was 
progressively promoted to the rank of Sergeant (Sgt) with a pay 
grade of (E-4) effective 1 December 1970.  He was released from 
active  duty  with  an  honorable  characterization  of  service  and 
credited with serving 3 years, 11 months and 28 days of active 
duty  service  which  includes  1 year,  3  months  and  1  day  of 
Foreign and/or Sea Service.   
 
The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not reflect service in Vietnam 
nor award of the VSM or AFOUA w/V.   
 
By letter dated 25 April 2012, AFPC/DPSIDR advised the applicant 
they  had  made  a  thorough  review  of  his  official  military 
personnel  record  and  provided  documents  and  verified  his 
entitlement  to  the  AFOUA  w/V.    They  were  unable  to  locate 
documentation in his record to verify his entitlement to the VSM 
(see Exhibit B).  
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
AIR FORCE EVALUATIONS: 
 
AFPC/DPAPP  recommends  denial.    DPAPP  states  a  review  of  the 
applicant’s  Master  Personnel  Record  and  documentation  submitted 
failed  to  provide  any  documents  that  substantiated  Foreign 
Service time in Vietnam.  They were able to verify and confirm 
boots  on  the  ground  at  Chin  Chuan  Kang  Air  Base,  Taiwan,  from 
16 July  1969  to  8  October  1970,  for  1  year,  2  months  and  23 
days. 
 
The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C.  
 
AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial.  DPSIDR states they were able to 
verify  the  applicant’s  entitlement  to  one  of  the  requested 
awards.    Through  separate  correspondence  (see  Exhibit  B)  the 
applicant  was  advised  he  was  ineligible  for  entitlement  to  the 
VSM.    The  Directorate  of  Assignments  was  unable  to  confirm  the 
applicant  served  in  Vietnam.    No  documentation  was  provided  to 
verify  the  applicant  served  in  Vietnam,  or  any  area  for  which 
the VSM is authorized for the specified period of time.   
 
The VSM criterion:  The VSM is awarded to all service members of 
the  Armed  Forces  who  between  the  period  of  4  July  1965  and 
28 March 1973, served on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days 
or  60  nonconsecutive  days  in  the  following  areas  of  Southeast 
Asia:    In  Vietnam  and  contiguous  waters  and  airspace;  in 
Thailand,  Laos  or  Cambodia  or  the  airspace  thereof  and  in  the 
direct support of military operations in Vietnam. 
 
The complete AFPC/DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit D. 

 

 
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________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
The applicant reiterates his previous contentions and adds more 
details  of  his  TDY  missions.    He  states  that  the  day  he  was 
released  from  active  duty,  the  personnel  specialist  processing 
his records asked if everything was correct.  He said “no.”  The 
personnel  specialist  told  him  it  was  4:00  p.m.  and  he  didn’t 
have  time  to  change  all  the  paperwork  today.    He  wrote  VSM  on 
the form and told him to sign the form and he would correct the 
paperwork  the  next  day.    The  applicant  includes  documents 
extracted  from  his  military  personnel  records,  earnings 
document,  a  pay  chart,  and  copies  of  newspaper  clippings  and 
photographs relating to his Vietnam service.   
 
The  applicant’s  complete  response  with  attachments  is  at 
Exhibit F.  
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
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.    We  believe  a 
reasonable  basis  exists  to  conclude  the  applicant  served  in 
Vietnam  based  on  the  applicant’s  temporary  duty  (TDY)  travel 
schedule  in  support  of  314th  OMS  missions  and  AFPC/DPAPP’S 
confirmation of his foreign service at Chin Chuan Kang Air Base, 
Taiwan for the period from 16 July 1969 through 8 October 1970, 
the  sworn  statement  of  his  former  military  coworker,  and 
photographs  confirming  his  presence  at  Tan  Son  Nhut  Air  Base, 
Vietnam.    We  find  the  evidence  sufficient  to  resolve  any  doubt 
we  might  have  in  this  matter  in  favor  of  the  applicant.  
Therefore,  to  avoid  a  possible  injustice  and  in  recognition  of 
his service to the Nation, we recommend his records be corrected 
as  indicated  below.    We  note  the  applicant’s  record  will  be 
administratively  corrected  to  reflect  his  award  of  the  AFOUA 
w/V. 
 
4.  The applicant's case is adequately documented and it has not 
been  shown  that  a  personal  appearance  with  or  without  counsel 
will materially add to our understanding of the issues involved.  
Therefore,  the  request  for  a  hearing  is  not  favorably 
considered. 
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

 
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The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force 
relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that: 
 
a.   He had boots on the ground in Tan Son Nhut Air Base, 
Vietnam,  from;  30  November  1969,  through  4  March  1970, 
1 April 1970  through  1  August  1970,  and  15  August  1970  through 
30 November 1970. 

 
b.   He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal.   

 
 

  Panel Chair 
  Member 
  Member 

 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
The  following  members  of  the  Board  considered  this  application 
BC-2012-00178  in  Executive  Session  on  11  September  2012,  under 
the provisions of AFI 36-2603: 
 
 
 
 
The following documentary evidence was considered: 
 
    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149 dated 3 March 2012, w/atchs. 
    Exhibit B.  Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. 
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 19 March 2012 
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 25 April 2012. 
    Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 7 May 2012.  
    Exhibit F.  Letter, Applicant, dated 22 May 2012, w/atchs.  
 
 
 
 
                                    
                                   Panel Chair 
 

 

 
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