| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr. | Analyst |
| Mr. Fred N. Eichorn | Chairperson | |
| Ms. Barbara J. Ellis | Member | |
| Ms. Karen Y. Fletcher | Member |
2. The applicant requests award of the Bronze Star Medal based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.
3. The applicant states, in effect, that his records show that he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, but he has never received his award of the Bronze Star Medal.
4. The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973. Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and show that he was inducted on 24 March 1943 and entered active duty on 31 March 1943. He served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations from 12 August 1944 to 25 January 1946 and was honorably discharged on 9 February 1946.
5. The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) does not show entitlement to the Combat Infantryman Badge and does not show entitlement to the Bronze Star Medal.
6. Among the limited records available to the Board is the applicant’s Final Payment-Work Sheet. This document shows that the applicant was entitled to combat infantry pay.
7. The applicant’s WD AGO Form 100 (Separation Qualification Record) shows that he served in the rank of sergeant as a Squad Leader in specialty number 653 for 15 months during World War II.
8. War Department Circular 269-1943 established the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge to recognize and provide an incentive to infantrymen. The Expert Infantryman Badge was to be awarded for attainment of certain proficiency standards or by satisfactory performance of duty in action against the enemy. The Combat Infantryman Badge was awarded for exemplary conduct in action against the enemy. War Department Circular 186-1944 further provided that the Combat Infantryman Badge was to be awarded only to infantrymen serving with infantry units of brigade, regimental or smaller size.
9. Additionally, World War II holders of the Combat Infantryman Badge received a monthly pay supplement known as combat infantry pay and holders of the Expert Infantryman Badge were entitled to expert infantry pay. Therefore, soldiers had economic as well as intangible reasons to ensure that their records were correct. Thus, pay records are frequently the best available source to verify entitlement to this award.
10. The Awards Branch, Total Army Personnel Command, has advised in similar cases that, during World War II, the Combat Infantryman Badge was normally awarded only to enlisted individuals who served in the following positions:
a. Light machine gunner (604)
b. Heavy machine gunner (605)
c. Platoon sergeant (651)
d. Squad leader (653)
e. Rifleman (745)
f. Automatic rifleman (746)
g. Heavy weapons NCO (812)
h. Gun crewman (864)
11. Army Regulation 600-8-22 also provides, in pertinent part, that the Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroism and for meritorious achievement or service in military operations against an armed enemy. The Bronze Star Medal is authorized for each individual who was cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945 or whose achievement or service, during that period, was confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. An award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge is considered to be a citation in orders. This means, in effect, that the Bronze Star Medal is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during World War II. This provision did not go into effect until 10 September 1947 when Change 12 to Army Regulation 600-45 (Decorations) was published; therefore, many soldiers separated prior to this date are entitled to award of the Bronze Star Medal based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge, but have never been awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Evidence of record shows the applicant was entitled to combat infantry pay. The applicant’s WD AGO 100 also shows that he performed as a infantry squad leader in an infantry unit during World War II. These facts are sufficient for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge; therefore, the applicant is entitled to award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and correction of his records to show this badge.
2. In view of the applicant’s entitlement to the Combat Infantryman Badge, the applicant is also entitled to award of the Bronze star Medal based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and correction of his records to show this decoration.
3. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected:
a. by awarding the individual concerned the Combat Infantryman Badge; and
b. by awarding the individual concerned the Bronze Star Medal based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.
BOARD VOTE:
__FNE__ ___KYF__ ___BJE__ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
___Mr. Fred N. Eichorn__
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2001062852 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20011108 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | (NC, GRANT , DENY, GRANT PLUS) |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | MR SCHNEIDER |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.0000.0000 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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