| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Ms. Nancy L. Amos | Analyst |
| Mr. Samuel A. Crumpler | Chairperson | ||
| Mr. Roger W. Able | Member | ||
| Mr. Hubert O. Fry, Jr. | Member |
2. The applicant requests that his general discharge under honorable conditions be upgraded to fully honorable.
3. The applicant states he served in the Army for 3 years. He served 11 months in Korea at age 18 and saw quite a bit of combat. After he returned from Korea, he advanced to the rank of corporal but then did something stupid (he got caught in an off-limits club). He was court-martialed and lost his stripe. He finished his tour without any more trouble. He will soon be 70 years old and he begs that we see it in our heart to grant him an honorable discharge. He provides his Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States, DD Form 214, as supporting evidence.
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 his DD Form 214.
5. The applicant was born on 20 December 1932. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 24 July 1950 for 3 years. He served 11 months and 14 days of foreign service and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Korean Service Medal with one bronze service star.
6. The applicant's DD Form 214 shows his rank and grade as Private, E-2 with a date of rank of 21 February 1953.
7. The applicant's DD Form 214 shows he was discharged on 25 July 1953, in pay grade E-2, under the provisons of Army Regulation 61-360 upon completing his expiration term of service. It shows he was given a characterization of separation of general under honorable conditions after completing 3 years of creditable active service with 2 days of lost time.
8. Army Regulation 635-200 is the current regulation governing the separation of enlisted personnel. In pertinent part, it states that an honorable discharge is a separation with honor. The honorable characterization is appropriate when the quality of the soldier's service generally has met the standards of acceptable conduct and performance of duty for Army personnel, or is otherwise so meritorious that any other characterization would be clearly inappropriate. A general discharge is a separation from the Army under honorable conditions. It is issued to a solder whose military record is satisfactory but not sufficiently meritorious to warrant an honorable discharge.
9. Army Regulation 635-200 provides that only the honorable characterization may be awarded a soldier upon completion of his period of enlistment.
10. Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides Army policy and criteria concerning individual military decorations. It states that the National Defense Service Medal
was first awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954, both dates inclusive, and for several subsequent periods.
11. Army Regulation 600-8-22 states that personnel awarded the Korean Service Medal automatically establish eligibility for the United Nations Service Medal.
12. As a matter of information, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, the Government of the Republic of Korea issued the Korean War Service Medal to pay tribute to eligible Korean War veterans for their historic endeavors to preserve the freedom of the Republic of Korea and the free world. On 20 August 1999, the Department of Defense approved acceptance and wear of this foreign award. The Department of Defense has assigned responsibility to the Department of the Air Force for distribution of the Korean War Service Medal to eligible veterans of all services. To apply, veterans must provide a copy of their discharge paper to the Awards and Decorations Section, Headquarter, Air Force Personnel Center, 550 C Street West, Suite 12, Randolph Air Force Base, TX 78150-4714. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Although the applicant's records are not available, his DD Form 214 provides enough information that would tend to bear out his statements. His DD Form 214 bears out the fact that he did not receive a punitive discharge. His award of the Combat Infantryman Badge bears out that he served honorably in combat.
2. Although it appears the applicant was reduced in rank on 21 February 1953, he was allowed to continue to serve until his expiration term of service in July 1953. The current regulation provides that only the honorable characterization may be awarded a soldier upon completion of his period of enlistment. While it does not appear that it was improper at the time for the applicant to have been given a general discharge under honorable conditions, the Board believes it would be equitable to now grant the relief requested and upgrade his discharge to fully honorable.
3. Based upon the applicant's discharge being upgraded to honorable, he meets the eligibility criteria for award of the National Defense Service Medal. He also meets the eligibility criteria for award of the United Nations Service Medal based upon his award of the Korean Service Medal. These awards should be added to his DD Form 214.
4. In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the applicant's DD Form 214 be corrected to show his characterization of service as honorable and to add the national Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.
BOARD VOTE:
_ _SAC _ __RWA_ ___HOF__ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
___Samuel A. Crumpler _
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2002077529 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | |
| DATE BOARDED | 2002/11/26 |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | GD |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | 1953/07/23 |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | AR 625-360 |
| DISCHARGE REASON | A04.00 |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. | 110.00 |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002078136C070215
The applicant requests that his records be corrected to show that he was wounded in Korea on/about 18 March 1951 and that he be awarded the Purple Heart (PH). Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214. The evidence of record does not support that the applicant was wounded in combat during the Korean War.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002080098C070215
The applicant states that there is no record of these awards or his dates of service in Korea. The applicant's service personnel records contain four DD Forms 214. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003084691C070212
The above regulation also provides for award of the United Nations Service Medal. Once the Department of the Air Force has authorized the Korean War Service Medal, the applicant may apply to the Army Board For Correction of Military Records to have it added to his DD Form 214. a. awarding the applicant the National Defense Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal, then adding these awards to the applicant's DD Form 214; and
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002071748C070403
The applicant requests that his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) be amended to shows his most significant duty assignment as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 194th Engineer Combat Battalion, Kumwha, Korea; to show he sustained injuries to his neck and left side in December 1951, and to show award of the Combat Engineer Badge; and to show all of his awards spelled completely. When the Korean War Service Medal is authorized by the Department...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003091490C070212
The applicant requests, in effect, that his DD Form 214, Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States, be corrected to show that he volunteered to serve in Korea during the Korean War. Once the Department of the Air Force has authorized the Korean War Service Medal, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to have it added to his DD Form 214. That all Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by awarding the...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002067459C070402
The Department of Defense has assigned responsibility to the Department of the Air Force for distribution of the Korean War Service Medal to eligible veterans of all services. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign award to his DD Form 214. The evidence confirms that the applicant was wounded as a result of hostile action while in Korea on 19...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003085695C070212
The applicant requests, in effect, that his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) be corrected to add the United Nations Service Medal, the Lapel Button for World War II, the Prisoner of War (POW) Medal, and to show he is authorized to wear 2 or 3 bronze service stars with the Korean Service Medal. His DD Form 214 shows he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal with 1 bronze service star, and the United Nations Service...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002068118C070402
The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted into the Army of the United States on 20 May 1952. When the Korean War Service Medal is authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign unit award to his DD Form 214. The evidence of record also shows that he was assigned to a unit during a period of time that the unit was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002076314C070215
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. During his second period of service, the record shows that he served in Korea from 9 September 1950 through 26 November 1951, with award of the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal with four bronze service stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Distinguished Unit Citation. Once the Korean War Service...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2002 | 2002078698C070215
The applicant requests, in effect, correction of his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) to show award of the Korean Service Medal with one bronze service star, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, the Medical Combat Badge and the Presidential Unit Citation. Once the Korean War Service Medal has been authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this...