| Mr. | Loren G. Harrell | Director | |
| Mr. | W. W. Osborn, Jr. | Analyst |
| Mr. | Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr. | Chairperson | |
| Ms. | Karol A. Kennedy | Member | |
| Mr. | Lester Echols | Member |
2. In response to the Board’s Reconsideration Project, the applicant requests reconsideration of his previous application to correct his records by upgrading his discharge. He contends, in effect, that his combat service warrant the requested relief. He submits copies of a letter and endorsements thereto commending his unit for their heroic action in the Chosin Reservoir area of Korea in November and December 1950.
3. Incorporated herein by reference are military records which were summarized in a memorandum of consideration (MOC) prepared to reflect the Board's original consideration of his case on 2 June 1982 . The applicant stated at that time that he had no trouble in the Army until he returned from Korea and that some of his AWOL time had been associated with his inability to deal with the death of his father and with the suicide of his first wife. He contended that he was only AWOL for about 6 months and that a lot of his lost time was un-credited pre-trial confinement.
4. Attached to the MOC but neither described nor addressed is a letter from the applicant’s son, a USMC staff sergeant, to the effect that the applicant had been a good father to five children. That he instilled in them a sense of patriotism, respect for the military and the idea of service to the nation to the extent that all three of the sons serve or had served in uniform.
5. The applicant’s subsequent request for reconsideration asked for a general discharge and contained new evidence relative to his post-service argument that should have been referred for Board consideration. This evidence includes a copy of the general order awarding him the Combat Infantryman Badge and letters from his employer and from a bank to the effect that he is a valuable employee and a financially responsible, credit worthy, repeat loan customer.
5. The records are incomplete and there is no way to accurately determine the number of AWOL, confinement and other lost time days. However, based upon the available records, the applicant was AWOL approximately 232 days. He was convicted of AWOL offenses by two summary court-martials (SCM) before he went to Korea and two special court-martials and another SCM after his return to the United States. As noted by the psychiatrist who described his chronic drinking problem and diagnosed him as having personality disorder, the applicant’s service in the combat zone was the only acceptable period of his military career.
6. In a telephone conversation with the analyst (which the applicant agreed should be mentioned in the presentation of his case) he related, in effect, that although it had not been easy, he eventually learned in civilian life that he could successfully control his drinking only by total abstinence. He had never been able to drink like a normal social drinker. He also confided that he had suffered
with enuresis well into adulthood and that this condition had played a large part in his inability to get along in the Army. He was repeatedly humiliated and he drank over those feelings of humiliation. His drinking, of course, led to AWOLs.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant’s previous reconsideration request should have been referred to the Board.
2. In light of all the circumstances of the case, but especially the applicant’s
combat service in the early days of the Korean War, his personality disorder, his personal problems and his post-service conduct, the current discharge is inequitable and should be upgraded to general. His overall record of misconduct, which are only partially mitigated by the above, preclude granting an honorable discharge.
3. In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, it would rectify an injustice by correcting the applicant’s records as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by:
a. voiding the undesirable discharge dated 20 April 1954 and issuing him a General Discharge Certificate of the Same date; and
b. by issuing him a new DD Form 214 (Certificate of Discharge or Release from Active Duty showing that his Authorized awards include the Combat Infantryman Badge in addition to those currently shown on his existing DD Form 214.
BOARD VOTE:
________ ________ ________ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
______________________
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AC81-10592/AR19908013262 |
| SUFFIX | B |
| RECON | |
| DATE BOARDED | 19981223 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | UD |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | 19540420 |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR 635-366 |
| DISCHARGE REASON | A51.00 |
| BOARD DECISION | Modify |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. | A92.08 |
| 2. | A92.04 |
| 3. | A92.22 |
| 4. | A93.08 |
| 5. | A93.24 |
| 6. |
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