AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

 

 
 

 
 

 
(DECEASED) 
(APPLICANT) 

DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2012-02111 
COUNSEL: NO 
HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

 
IN THE MATTER OF:   
      
     
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:  
 
His  late  brother’s  record  be  corrected  to  reflect  award  of  the 
following: 
 
 

1. Bronze Star Medal (BSM) 
2. Bronze Star Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster (BSM w/1OLC) 
 
3. Purple Heart (PH) (Administratively corrected)   
 
4. Combat Infantry Badge  
 
5. Gold Star Lapel Button (Administratively corrected) 
 6. Three (3) Distinguished Unit Citations (Presidential Unit 
w/2OLC) 

Leaf 

(PUC 

with 

two 

 

Clusters) 

Citation 
Oak 
(Administratively corrected) 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 
 
His brother should receive these awards for his participation in 
the Battles of Luzon and Corregidor.   
 
In  support  of  his  appeal,  the  applicant  provides  a  personal 
statement,  and  copies  of  his  brother’s  enlistment  record,  an 
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense memorandum, historical 
documents,  an  excerpt  of  Army  Regulation  (AR)  600-8-22,  War 
Department Circulars, and newspaper articles.   
 
The  applicant’s  complete  submission,  with  attachments,  is  at 
Exhibit A. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
STATEMENT OF FACTS: 
 
The  member  (decedent)  is  a  former  member  of  the  454th  Ordnance 
Company 
was 
incorporated into the Provisional Air Corps Regiment and tasked 
with  performing  duties  of  infantrymen  during  the  resistance  of 
the Japanese attack on the Philippine Islands from 8 January 1942 

Bombardment 

(Aviation), 

Group, 

which 

27th 

until  10  May  1942.    According  to  a  War  Department’s  Report  of 
Death,  the  member,  serving  as  a  private  first  class,  died  from 
Malaria on 1 July 1943 while being held as a prisoner of War in 
the Southwest Pacific.   
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
AFPC/DPSID  recommends  denying  the  applicant’s  request  for  the 
award of the BSM, BSM w/1OLC, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.  
DPSID  indicates  that  when  the  Air  Force  was  established  by  the 
National Security Act of 1947, the transfer functions pertaining 
to decorations and awards excluded the transfer of badges, except 
basic qualification marksmanship badges, and motor vehicle driver 
and  mechanic  badges  as  noted  in  the  Joint  Army  and  Air  Force 
Adjustment Regulations (JAAFAR) 1-11-53, 2b(8), dated 20 December 
1948.  Further review of Army Regulation 600-8-22, paragraph 3-
14d(2),  Bronze  Star  Medal  and  paragraph  8-6f(2),  Combat 
Infantryman  Badge,  provides  an  avenue  for  individuals  (next  of 
kin),  who  may  determine  they  are  entitled  to  this  prestigious 
award,  to  request  consideration.    Therefore,  the  Department  of 
the  Air  Force  must  defer  to  the  Department  of  the  Army  in 
relation to awarding the Combat Infantryman Badge.   
 
The  BSM  is  awarded  to  a  person  in  any  branch  of  the  military 
service who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces 
of  the  United  States  on  or  after  7  December  1941,  shall  have 
distinguished  themself  by  heroic  or  meritorious  achievement  or 
service,  not  involving  participation  in  aerial  flight,  in 
connection  with  military  operations  against  an  armed  enemy.  
According  to  AR  600-8-22,  paragraph  3-14(2),  dated  11  December 
2006, award of the BSM may be to each member of the Armed Forces 
of the United States who, after 6 December 1941, has been cited 
in  orders  or  awarded  a  certificate  for  exemplary  conduct  in 
ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 
2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious achievement has 
been  otherwise  confirmed  by  documents  executed  prior  to  1  July 
1947.  For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge 
is considered a citation and orders.  In relation to requests for 
the  BSM  associated  with  award  of  the  Combat  Infantryman  Badge, 
applicants should send their letter application to the Commander, 
United States Army Human Resources Command.  In addition, AR 600-
8-22,  paragraph  3-14(3)  states  that  upon  letter  application, 
award  of  the  BSM  may  be  made  to  eligible  soldiers  who 
participated in the Philippine Island Campaign, from 7 December 
1941 to 10 May 1942.  Performance of duty must have been on the 
island of Luzon or the Harbor Defenses in Corregidor and Bataan.  
Only  soldiers  who  were  awarded  the  Distinguished  Unit  Citation 
may be awarded this decoration.   
 
Official documentation, to include a Special Order, verifying the 
member was recommended for and/or awarded the BSM was not located 
within  his  official  military  personnel  record.    However,  it 

 2

appears the applicant is requesting the BSM in relation to award 
of  the  Combat  Infantryman  Badge  for  his  late  brother’s  actions 
during the Battle of Luzon.  Therefore, the applicant will need 
to submit this portion of his request to the Department of the 
Army.   
 
DPSID  states  after  a  thorough  review  of  the  member’s  official 
military  personnel  record,  they  have  verified  his  award  of  the 
PUC  w/2OLC  and  the  Gold  Star  Lapel  Button.    In  regard  to  the 
applicant’s request to award his late brother the PH, the Purple 
Heart Review Board (PHRB) approved the member’s award of the PH 
on 3 August 2012.  As a result, these awards have been corrected 
in the member’s record.  In addition, their office has verified 
the  member’s  entitlement  to  the  Good  Conduct  Medal  (GCM), 
Prisoner  of  War  Medal  (POWM),  American  Campaign  Medal  (ACM), 
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star (APCM 
w/1BSS), World War II Victory Medal (WWIIVM) and the Philippines 
Presidential Unit Citation (PRPUC).  A copy of their evaluation 
has been placed in the member’s record to verify these additional 
awards.   
 
The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit C.   
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant 
on  11  September  2012  for  review  and  response  within  30  days 
(Exhibit  D).    As  of  this  date,  this  office  has  received  no 
response. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 
 
1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing 
law or regulations. 
 
2.  The application was timely filed. 
 
3.  Insufficient  relevant  evidence  has  been  presented  to 
demonstrate the existence of an error or an injustice warranting 
corrections by the Board in regard to the applicant’s request to 
award  his  late  brother  the  BSM,  BSM  w/1OLC,  and  the  Combat 
Infantry Badge.  In this regard, we agree with the recommendation 
of the Air Force office of primary and adopt its 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 
any  relief  beyond  the  administrative  corrections  previously 
noted. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 

 

 3

 
THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: 
 
The  applicant  be  notified  that  the  evidence  presented  did  not 
demonstrate  the  existence  of  material  error  or  injustice;  that 
the  application  was  denied  without  a  personal  appearance;  and 
that  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-2012-02111  in  Executive  Session  on  12  February  2013, 
under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: 
 

 
 
 

, Panel Chair 
, Member 
, Member 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 2 May 12, w/atchs. 
Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 
Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 4 Sep 12.  
Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 11 Sep 12. 

The  following  documentary  evidence  was  considered  in  connection 
with AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-02111: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Panel Chair 

  

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 4