| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mrs. Nancy Amos | Analyst |
| Mr. Fred N. Eichorn | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Thomas A. Pagan | Member | |
| Mr. Harry B. Oberg | Member |
2. The applicant requests reconsideration of his request for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB).
3. The applicant states that he landed on Leyte in the Philippines and then was sent to Mindanao to join the 163d Infantry Regiment, Company C as a rifleman. He landed with the unit on the island of Jolo as a rifleman and from there they went on many patrols searching out the enemy. Afterwards, when the company needed medics, he volunteered to serve as a medic. However, he was a rifleman first.
4. The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire in 1973. Information contained herein was obtained from alternate sources.
5. The applicant’s Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55, shows that he was inducted on 2 October 1944. He arrived in the Southwest Pacific on 17 March 1945, departed on 2 July 1945, and separated on 20 October 1945. It shows his arm of service was infantry and his military occupational specialty (MOS) was Rifleman. (The MOS listed, “705,” appears to be a typographical error that should have reflected “745.”) It shows he was awarded the “Medic Badge.”
6. The applicant’s Separation Qualification Record, WD AGO Form 100, shows that he served 3 ¾ months in basic training, 2 months as a rifleman (MOS 745), and 4 months as a first aidman. It summarizes his military occupations as “Rifleman: Loaded, aimed and fired a rifle to destroy enemy personnel and to assist in capturing and holding enemy positions in combat areas and on front lines in the South Pacific” and “First-Aid Man.”
7. In addition to the description of the CIB outlined in the Board’s 31 May 2001 Proceedings, Army Regulation 600-8-22 states that the CIB was established during World War II to provide special recognition of the unique role of the Army infantryman, the only soldier whose daily mission is to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The CIB was established during World War II to provide special recognition of the unique role of the Army infantryman, the only soldier whose daily mission is to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain. That is exactly how the applicant’s WD AGO Form 100 describes his first duties. The evidence of record shows that he was an infantryman, he served with an infantry unit, and he assisted in capturing and holding enemy positions in combat through loading, aiming, and firing a rifle to destroy those positions. There is no time requirement on how long an infantryman must perform those duties. The fact that he later became a medic does not negate the fact he earlier met the eligibility criteria for award of the CIB.
2. 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 by awarding the applicant the Combat Infantryman Badge.
BOARD VOTE:
__fne___ __tap___ __hbo___ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
Fred N. Eichorn
______________________
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2001063132 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | |
| DATE BOARDED | 20011206 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | (GRANT) |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. | 107.0111 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2005 | 20050004439C070206
The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for review. Item 31 (Military Qualification and Date) does not show award of the Combat Infantryman Badge. His Separation Qualification Record shows he served as a cook during the last 8 months of service (around July 1945 to March 1946) and he did not receive combat infantry pay.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2012 | 20120007734
The applicant, the nephew of a deceased former service member (FSM), requests his uncle be awarding the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and the Bronze Star Medal (BSM). He goes on to state that during World War II there was no requirement for individuals to hold an infantry military occupational specialty (MOS) in order to be awarded the CIB. Therefore, the BSM is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during World War II.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2013 | 20130014133
The applicant requests that the records of his father, a deceased former service member (FSM), be corrected by showing his award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and by showing his ASR (Army Service Rating) score as 101. The War Department received requests to award the Combat Infantryman Badge to non-infantry individuals and units employed as infantry during tactical emergencies. War Department Circular 269-1943 established the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003084670C070212
The applicant requests, in effect, Item 30 (Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation - Honorable Discharge) be corrected to show that he was an Infantry rifleman. The evidence shows that the applicant was inducted into the Army of the United States on 23 October 1943 and that he reported for duty on 13 November 1943. The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows the following awards in Item 33 (Decoration and Citations); World...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2007 | 20070000932
The applicant requests, in effect, that item 31 (Military Qualification and Date), of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation), be corrected to show that he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge. Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show this unit award. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. awarding the applicant the Combat Infantryman Badge and adding it to...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2007 | 20070012288
Evidence of record shows that the FSM was an infantryman assigned to an infantry unit during World War II and that he was twice wounded in action. Therefore, there is sufficient evidence that he is entitled to award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and correction of his records to show this award. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by awarding the FSM the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star Medal based...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2006 | 20060009173C070205
The applicant requests correction of his records to show award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). 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 showing he was awarded the CIB, the Bronze Star Medal (based on award of the CIB), and showing one bronze service star for wear on his already awarded European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2001 | 2001051850C070420
His WD AGO 53-55, does not show the award of the CIB. Therefore, correction of the applicant’s record to show these awards would be appropriate. That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by amending the applicant’s WD AGO 53-55, to show the awards of Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and amend item 34 of his WD AGO 53-55 to read wounded 2 May 1942, on Corregidor, Philippine...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080001794
The applicants military records are not available to the Board for review. However, there is sufficient evidence which verifies the applicant was a POW from 16 November 1944 to 24 November 1944. However, B Company, 399th Infantry Regiment Morning Report, dated 19 November 1944, shows he served as a squad leader in MOS 653 while assigned to his infantry unit in the European Theater of Operations.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2012 | 20120000239
The previous ROP concluded that the FSM's military record is void of documentation showing he was awarded the CIB or that he served in an infantry MOS while assigned to an infantry unit. The War Department received requests to award the CIB to non-infantry individuals and units employed as infantry during tactical emergencies. In the absence of evidence showing the FSM held an infantry MOS, the orders for the BSM are insufficient evidence on which to base award of the CIB in this case.