PROCEEDINGS


         IN THE CASE OF:
        

         BOARD DATE: 23 April 2002
         DOCKET NUMBER: AR2002071705


         I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.

Mr. Carl W. S. Chun		Director
Mr. Paul A. Petty		Analyst

The following members, a quorum, were present:

Ms. Karol A. Kennedy		Chairperson
Mr. Thomas Lanyi		Member
Mr. Mark D. Manning		Member

         The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

         The Board considered the following evidence:

         Exhibit A - Application for correction of military
records
         Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
         advisory opinion, if any)

FINDINGS :

1. The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

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2. The applicant requests, in effect, that the record show that he served as a mounted member of Battery E, 124^th Field Artillery (FA), Illinois National Guard, from 22 June 1936 through 6 December 1939.

3. The applicant states, in effect, that he was a member of the Battery E,
124^th FA of the Illinois National Guard from 22 June 1936, through 23 September 1940. The 124^th FA was a 75-mm howitzer horse drawn FA unit until 9 October 1939, at which time it was converted to a truck-drawn unit. The applicant was a mounted member of the 124^th FA and honorably discharged as a corporal. As a soldier with mounted service, he is entitled to caparisoned horse (riderless horse) at his impending funeral ceremony at Arlington Cemetery but he is being denied this entitlement since no records currently exist to show his mounted service. As a medically retired Army Air Corps first lieutenant, in 1970 he donated one of the two Army officer saddles (Phillips saddle) to The Old Guard Caisson Platoon that are used for such funeral ceremonies. His saddle had been in his family for 40 years and had first belonged to his father and brother who were FA officers in the horse-drawn FA. The applicant provides copies of his enlistment records for the 124^th FA, military records for periods after his service with the 124^th FA, publicity documents on the 124^th FA showing him pictorially and listing him in print as a member of the 124^th FA, as a member of the 124^th FA regimental artillery “Stake Driving” championship team in 1937 as a swing pair driver, and as member of the fancy riding team. In a six horse drawn artillery crew, the middle pair of horses are the swing team on which the soldier (driver) rides the left horse of the pair. He also provides a newspaper article with photo about his donation of the Phillips saddle to The Old Guard.

4. The applicant’s military records show on his War Department, National Guard Bureau (WD NGB) Form 21 (Enlistment Record), dated 7 December 1936, that he enlisted in Battery E, 124^th FA (75-mm Horse-Drawn), on 22 June 1936. He was honorably discharged as a private on 17 November 1936, by paragraph 3, special orders 234, Adjutant General’s Office, Illinois, due to inability to attend drill. His WD NGB Form 21, dated 7 December 1936, shows that he reenlisted in Battery E, 124^th FA (75-mm Horse-Drawn), on 7 December 1936.

5. A WD NGB Form 60 (Report of Board in Case of Sickess or Injury), dated
27 April 1939, shows that on 20 April 1939, while at unit drill, the applicant was kicked in the middle of the back and knocked down by a horse while harnessing a horse.

6. His WD NGB Form 21, dated 7 December 1939, shows that he was honorably discharged as a corporal on 6 December 1939, due to the expiration of his term of service, and that he reenlisted in Battery E, 124^th FA (75-mm Truck-Drawn)



on 7 December 1939. His WD NGB Form 24 (Service Record), dated
23 September 1940, shows that he was honorably discharged as a corporal on 23 September 1940, by reason of removal from the state, by paragraph 24, special order 223, Adjutant General’s Office, Illinois, dated 23 September 1940.

7. A NGB Form 4A, redesignation document, dated 20 October 1939, shows that Battery E, 124^th FA was a 75-mm horse-drawn artillery unit from 1 May 1921 to
9 October 1939, when it was redisignated a 75-mm truck-drawn artillery unit.

8. The applicant reenlisted on 10 April 1941 to become a glider pilot. He was promoted to a staff sergeant on 1 February 1942 by Headquarters, 65^th OBS, at Langley Field, Virginia. He completed Glider Mechanics training at Sheppard Field, Texas, on 18 March 1943, and Pre-Basic-Advanced Glider Pilot training at SPAAF, Lubbock, Texas, in July 1943. He was assigned the Army specialty 771, glider pilot. He was honorably discharged on 8 July 1943, according to a
WD AGO Form 55 issued at that time. This WD AGO Form 55 shows that during this period of service, from 10 April 1941 through 8 July 1943, his horsemanship was not mounted. (This form also shows some incorrect Illinois National Guard discharge dates. These incorrect dates were later copied on a statement of service issued on 10 February 1967.)

9. He entered the Army Air Corps on 9 July 1943 as a flight officer glider pilot. He departed the United States on 20 March 1944 and arrived in the European Theater on 27 March 1944. He was credited with participation in five campaigns: Southern France, Normandy, Rome-Arno, Northern France, and Germany. He was awarded the Distinguished Unit Badge (Citation) by general orders 212,
9^th Air Force (AF), dated 23 August 1944. On 19 September 1944, he was severely wounded by flak while piloting a glider over Holland. On landing, he was taken prisoner by the enemy and for six weeks the injuries were treated by local dressings. He escaped to an American evacuation hospital. He was awarded the Purple Heart by general orders 44, paragraph 1, Headquarters (HQ), 83^rd (US) General Hospital, dated 7 November 1944. He was awarded the Air Medal by general orders 88, HQ, 9^th Troop Carrier Corps (TCC), dated
1 October 1944, and the Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster by general order 1, HQ, 9^th TCC, dated 3 January 1945. He was also awarded the American Defense Ribbon (American Defense Service Medal) and the European-African-Middle-Eastern (EAME) Theater Ribbon (EAME Campaign Medal).

10. He departed the European Theater on 17 January 1945, and returned to the United States on 27 January 1945. On 19 December 1945, as a flight officer (second lieutenant), he was honorably and permanently retired by reason of physical disability. On 29 June 1967, his rank at discharge was changed to first lieutenant by a DD Form 215 (Correction to a DD Form 214).

11. The American Campaign Medal is authorized by Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards), for any soldier who served in the American Theater between
7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946 within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of 1 year.

12. The American Defense Service Medal is authorized by Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards), paragraph 5-16, for any soldier who served between 8 September 1939 and 7 December 1941 under orders to active duty for a period of 12 months or longer.

13. Service Stars are authorized by Army Regulation 600-8-2 (Military Awards), paragraph 6-7, for wear on campaign and service ribbons to denote an additional award. One bronze service star denotes one campaign and a silver service star denotes five campaigns.

14. The POW Medal is authorized by Public Law 99-145, Section 1128, Title 10, US Code, 8 November 1985, and Army Regulation 600-8-22, paragraph 2-9, for any person, who while serving in any capacity with the US Armed Forces, was taken prisoner and held captive after 5 April 1917 while engaged in action against the enemy or operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force.

15. The World War II Victory Medal is awarded for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946 according to Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, paragraph 5-11.

CONCLUSIONS:

1. The applicant was a member of a horse-drawn field artillery unit, Battery E, 124^th FA, Illinois National Guard, from 22 June 1936 to 9 October 1939, when it was converted to a truck-drawn FA unit. There is evidence that he served in a mounted capacity as a driver of a swing team (rider on one of the second pair of horses in a field artillery piece and caisson team of horses). As such, he should be issued a statement of service that shows that he served in a horse-mounted capacity in Battery E, 124^th Field Artillery (75-mm Horse-Drawn), Illinois National Guard, from 22 June 1936 through 17 November 1936 as a private, and from
7 December 1936 through 6 December 1939 as a corporal. During his last period of service with that unit from 7 December 1939 through 23 September 1940, the unit was fully designated a truck-drawn field artillery unit.

2. Based on his record of service, he is also authorized additional awards: the American Campaign Medal, the EAME Campaign Medal with silver service star, the POW Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. His DD Form 214 should also show that he was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. He should be provided these medals. He was awarded the American Defense Ribbon and should therefore be provided the American Defense Service Medal.
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 for the individual concerned by:

         a. issuing an appropriate statement that shows that he served in a horse-mounted capacity in Battery E, 124^th Field Artillery (75-mm Horse-Drawn), Illinois National Guard, from 22 June 1936 through 17 November 1936 as a private, and from 7 December 1936 through 6 December 1939 as a corporal;

b. issuing a DD Form 215 to show that he was awarded the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the EAME Campaign Medal with silver service star, the POW Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Distinguished Unit Citation; and

c. issuing him the above medals and awards.

BOARD VOTE:

__kk___ ___tl___ ___mm___ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION




                  ___Karol A. Kennedy__
                  CHAIRPERSON

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INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002071705
SUFFIX
RECON
DATE BOARDED	20020423
TYPE OF DISCHARGE
DATE OF DISCHARGE
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY
DISCHARGE REASON
BOARD DECISION	GRANT
REVIEW AUTHORITY
ISSUES 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.