RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS
IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-03209
COUNSEL: NONE
HEARING DESIRED: NO
________________________________________________________________
_
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:
His records be corrected to reflect his foreign service in
Vietnam.
________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
He was sent to Vietnam in late 62 and returned late spring of
63. He was stationed in Bein Hoa and Pleiku. He does not have
any temporary duty (TDY) records.
He applied for disabled veteran status and was denied by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) because there were no
records to support he had Vietnam service.
The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at
Exhibit A.
________________________________________________________________
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
The applicants military personnel records reflect he commenced
his enlistment in the Regular Air Force on 1 Feb 61.
The applicants AF Form 7, Airman Military Record reflects he
received the Air Force Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).
The applicants Airman Performance Report for the period
20 Jul 62 to 19 Jul 63 speaks of a deployment but not does
reflect the location for the deployment.
On 29 Jan 65, the applicant was honorably released from active
duty and was credited with 3 years, 11 months and 29 days of
active service with no foreign service. The applicants DD Form
214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or
Discharge, dated 29 Jan 65, reflects he was awarded the AFEM.
________________________________________________________________
AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of
an error or injustice. A review of the applicants military
personnel records failed to substantiate his claim of foreign
service in the Republic of Vietnam.
The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C.
AFPC/DPSID comments were provided for informational purposes
only. While the applicants DD Form 214 reflects the applicant
was awarded the AFEM, his purported service in Vietnam could not
be verified. The AFEM is awarded to service members of the
Armed Forces who after 1 Jul 58, participated in United States
military operations, in direct support of the United Nations, or
United States operations of assistance for friendly foreign
nations for 30 consecutive or 60 non consecutive days. Service
members, who earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary medal for
service in Vietnam between 1 Jul 58 and 3 Jul 65, may elect to
receive the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) instead of the AFEM.
The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit D.
________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
He has gone to every agency to find his records to support his
request and have come up with the same records the Review Board
has used to address his case. The statutes to hold records
which could have helped him have expired and, as a result, those
records, including his travel and pay records, have been
destroyed.
The AFEM is reflected on his DD Form 214, which was authorized
by the Air Force at the time the DD Form 214 was originally
initiated which concludes there had to be supporting documents
in his personnel folder to justify its issuance. He went to
Vietnam in late Nov 62 after completing his Advanced Survival
School training and returned in Jul 63. This course is
annotated in his records with the dates of attendance.
The applicants complete response 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 an error or injustice warranting relief. After a
thorough review of the evidence presented and the service members
military personnel records, we believe a reasonable basis exists
to conclude the applicant served in Vietnam. While we cannot
verify the specific dates the applicant was actually in Vietnam,
in view of the fact that the applicant was awarded the Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) and noting that his performance
report closing 19 Jul 63 indicates he was deployed in-country to
support the repairs of B-26 aircraft, which were used in combat
missions in Vietnam, we believe a preponderance of the evidence
indicates he served in the Republic of Vietnam. Therefore, in
view of the above, and in recognition of his service to the
Nation, we recommend the applicants records be corrected as
indicated below.
________________________________________________________________
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:
The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force
relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that he had boots-
on-the-ground in the Republic of Vietnam.
________________________________________________________________
The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket
Number BC-2012-03209 in Executive Session on 2 Apr 13, under the
provisions of AFI 36-2603:
, Panel Chair
, Member
, Member
All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The
following documentary evidence was considered:
Exhibit A. DD Forms 149, dated 23 Jul 12, w/atchs.
Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 13 Sep 12.
Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 8 Nov 12.
Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 21 Nov 12.
Panel Chair
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