| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Kenneth H. Aucock | Analyst |
| Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Elzey J. Arledge | Member | |
| Ms. Regan K. Smith | Member |
2. The applicant requests award of the Presidential Unit Citation.
3. The applicant states that he was a member of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion when it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in January 1945 during the American counteroffensive in the Ardennes during World War II. He states that he was with the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion from April 1942 to November 1942 and with the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion from November 1942 to January 1945.
4. The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) shows that he enlisted in the Army on 13 June 1940, served in the European Theater of Operations during World War II, participating in four campaigns, and was discharged on 6 July 1945. His organization on that form is shown as Company D, 505th Parachute Infantry Battalion.
5. Health record research project records, commonly referred to as the "SGO Files", are records that were created by transposing the hospital admission card data from the periods of World War II and the Korean conflict onto magnetic tape. In 1988 the National Research Council made these tape files available to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). This information is a valuable substitute for the records lost in the NPRC fire of 1973. The SGO files revealed that the applicant was treated for a sprain of his hip joint on 15 August 1944, for a fever on 5 September 1944, and for trench foot on 6 January 1945. His unit on all those files is listed as “551”. On 14 January 1945 he was treated for the mumps. His unit is listed as “505”.
6. With his request, the applicant submits a copy of a Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM) letter to a Member of Congress (MC) informing that official that the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion had been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. A certificate shows that the 551st was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation on 24 April 2000 for extraordinary heroism on 7 January 1945. The accompanying narrative shows that the 551st was cited for its actions in the Ardennes beginning on 27 and 28 December 1944 by successfully executing a raid on advanced Germany positions; and continuing by attacking and securing ridges against great odds on 3 January 1945, by conducting a fixed bayonet attack of machine gun nests on 4 January 1945, by capturing two towns and parrying German counterattacks on 5 and 6 January 1945; and culminating on 7 January 1945 when, at half strength, it overwhelmed the German defenders of a high ridge and captured another town, losing four-fifths of its men in the process. That narrative shows that the battalion was disbanded a month later.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant was a member of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion in 1944 and 1945, and immediately prior to his hospitalization on 6 January 1945 for trench foot as reflected by SGO files. It is highly probable that he participated in all the actions that resulted in the award of the Presidential Unit Citation to the 551st, except for the action on 7 January 1945. Consequently, in all fairness and in the interest of justice, the applicant is entitled to award of the Presidential Unit Citation.
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 showing that the individual concerned was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for his participation in the actions of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion in late December and early January 1945.
BOARD VOTE:
__RVO__ __EJA __ __RKS__ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
_ Raymond V. O’Connor__
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2001064158 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 20020131 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | (HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR) |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | YYYYMMDD |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR . . . . . |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. | |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
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