Search Decisions

Decision Text

AF | BCMR | CY2012 | BC-2012-02664
Original file (BC-2012-02664.txt) Auto-classification: Denied
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-02664 

 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His records be corrected to reflect: 

 

1. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque. 

 

2. His Foreign Service in North Africa. 

 

3. He was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign 
Medal. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He received the Meritorious Service Award and Certificate; 
however, they were lost. There was a disagreement with the 
processing of his discharge which may have inadvertently caused 
his unit to leave off his North Africa service and his 
Meritorious Service Award. 

 

The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit A. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant is a former member of the Air Force who served 
from 2 December 1942 through 20 February 1946. His records were 
destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Center in 1973; 
therefore, the facts and circumstances surrounding his service 
could only be verified through the limited amount of 
reconstructed records. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial. A review of the applicant’s 
Master Personnel Records failed to substantiate he served in 
North Africa or with the 4th Army Airways Communications Systems 


Wing (AACSW). However, there was mention of his service in New 
Delhi, India in October 1944. 

 

The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

AFPC/DPSID recommends denial. The applicant requests the 
European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the 
Meritorious Service Unit Plague, which is now called the 
Meritorious Unit Citation (Army). 

 

The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is awarded to 
all military departments for service outside the continental 
United States, in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater, 
for at least 30 days between 7 December 1941 and 8 November 
1945. Personnel who were assigned or attached members of units 
during the period for which campaigns participation credit, or 
assault landing credit, was accorded to the unit, were awarded 
the bronze service star and arrowhead to denote their 
participation in the action. The applicant’s only verifiable 
Foreign Service was in New Delhi, India in October 1944, for 
which he received the Asian-Pacific Campaign Medal. Without 
documentation verifying he was in the area of responsibility, he 
is ineligible for the award of the European-African-Middle 
Eastern Campaign Medal. 

 

The Meritorious Unit Citation (Army) is awarded to units for 
exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of 
outstanding services for at least 6 continuous months during the 
period of military operations against and armed enemy occurring 
after 1 January 1944. Service in a combat zone is not required, 
but it must be directly related to the combat effort. The unit 
must display such outstanding devotion and superior performance 
of exceptionally difficult task as to set it apart and above 
units with similar missions. The degree of achievement required 
is the same that would warrant award of the Legion of Merit to 
an individual. Although they were able to verify the 4th AACSW 
was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation from 1 May 1944 
through 2 September 1945, they were unable to verify the 
applicant was assigned to this unit. Therefore, he is 
ineligible for the Meritorious Unit Citation. 

 

There is insufficient evidence to show the applicant is eligible 
for the requested awards. 

 

The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit D. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the 
applicant on 11 September 2012, for review and comment within 


30 days (Exhibit E). As of this date, this office has not 
received a 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. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to 
demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. We took 
notice of the applicant's complete submission and the available 
evidence of record in judging the merits of the case; however, 
we agree with the opinions and recommendations of the Air Force 
offices of primary responsibility and adopt their rationale as 
the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the 
victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, in the absence of 
evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting 
the relief sought in this application. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

The applicant be notified the evidence presented did not 
demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; the 
application was denied without a personal appearance; and the 
application will only be reconsidered upon the submission of 
newly discovered relevant evidence not considered with this 
application. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2012-02664 in Executive Session on 15 February 2013, 
under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 Panel Chair 

 Member 

 Member 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2012-02664 was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 18 Jun 12, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 25 Jul 12. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 4 Sep 12. 

 Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 11 Sep 12. 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair 

 

 



Similar Decisions

  • AF | BCMR | CY2001 | 0100860

    Original file (0100860.doc) Auto-classification: Denied

    RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: 01-00860 INDEX CODE 107.00 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be awarded two additional Air Medal (AMs) for his last ten combat missions. Had the recommendations been submitted and denied, they do not believe any documentation would be found in his records, since he and his records had departed...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110010089

    Original file (20110010089.txt) Auto-classification: Approved

    The applicant requests correction of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge) to show: * His date of birth (DOB) as "28 August 1921" vice "12 May 1921" * The addition of the North Africa, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns * Award of the Belgian Fourragere 2. Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 also shows that during his service with the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion, in addition to the four campaigns already shown on his WD AGO...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2005 | 20050003859C070206

    Original file (20050003859C070206.doc) Auto-classification: Denied

    The applicant requests, in effect, correction of his records to show assault landing/campaign participation credit for Anzio and award of the Army of Occupation Medal. The applicant provides copies of his WD AGO Form 53-98 and DD Form 215 in support of his request for assault landing/campaign participation credit and award of the Army of Occupation Medal. Absent any evidence that shows the applicant's unit received assault landing credit at Anzio in March 1944 or campaign participation...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2001 | 2001061291C070421

    Original file (2001061291C070421.rtf) Auto-classification: Approved

    The applicant’s military records were not available to the Board for review. It also shows that while he was serving in the ETO he participated in the Algeria-French Morocco and Tunisia campaigns of World War II. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110014403

    Original file (20110014403.txt) Auto-classification: Approved

    The applicant requests award of the Bronze Star Medal based on his award of the Combat Infantryman Badge. The applicant's military records are not available to the Board for review. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. awarding him the Bronze Star Medal based on his award of the Combat Infantryman Badge; b. amending item 33 of his WD AGO 53-55 by: (1) deleting the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 03095774C070212

    Original file (03095774C070212.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied

    He was discharged on 29 July 1945. However, in view of the fact that the board was not established until 2 January 1947 the applicant’s 3 year period in which to file an application for correction of military records expired on 2 January 1950, 3 years from the date the Board was established. Evidence shows that the applicant’s records contain administrative error which does not require action by the Board.

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2010 | 20100026002

    Original file (20100026002.txt) Auto-classification: Approved

    The applicant, the son of a former service member (FSM), requests correction of the FSM's records to show award of the French Fourragere. The applicant provides copies of the FSM's death certificate, his birth certificate, a personnel roster and congratulatory message, the FSM's Army Separation Qualification Record and discharge document, and a document on American units awarded the fourragere during World Wars I and II. The applicant contends that the FSM's records should be corrected to...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002081962C070215

    Original file (2002081962C070215.rtf) Auto-classification: Approved

    Item 33 (Decorations and Citations) of the applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 does not show award of the Purple Heart. The Board reviewed the statements submitted by the applicant and found the statement from the F Battery Executive Officer provided evidence that the applicant was wounded on the morning of 30 April 1943 near hill 609. After careful review of all the evidence, the Board determined that the statement by the F Battery Executive Officer combined with the Record of Events for the...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080009967

    Original file (20080009967.txt) Auto-classification: Approved

    The applicant requests reconsideration of his earlier request for correction of his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge (WD AGO Form 53-55) to show a bronze arrowhead and a fifth bronze service star on his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. Incorporated herein by reference are military records which were summarized in the previous consideration of the applicant's case by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) in Docket Number...

  • ARMY | BCMR | CY2004 | 20040010190C070208

    Original file (20040010190C070208.doc) Auto-classification: Approved

    The applicant requests correction of his records to show award of the Purple Heart. The evidence of record shows that the applicant is entitled to award of the Bronze Star Medal based on his award of the Combat Medical Badge. As a result, the Board recommends that the WD AGO Form 53- 55 issued on 18 December 1945 of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. showing the Bronze Star Medal (based upon award of the Combat Medical Badge); b. awarding the European-African-Middle Eastern...