| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Edmund P. Mercanti | Analyst |
| Ms. Margaret K. Patterson | Chairperson | |
| Mr. Ronald E. Blakely | Member | |
| Mr. Frank C. Jones, II | Member |
2. The applicant requests that he be awarded the Bronze Star Medal (BSM) based on his award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB).
3. The applicant states, in effect, that he understands that a soldier who served during World War II (WWII) and was awarded the CIB is automatically entitled to the BSM.
4. The applicant’s military records could not be located and are presumed to have been destroyed in the fire at the records repository at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. Alternative records show that he was inducted and entered on active duty on 8 March 1943. He was awarded the military occupational specialty of heavy machine gunner, code 605, and was promoted to the rank of private first class. He departed for the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) theater of operations on 8 October 1943. He was wounded in action in Normandy in June 1944 and was wounded once again in Germany on 6 October 1944.
5. On 26 December 1944, he departed the EAME theater to return to the continental United States.
6. He was honorably discharged with a Certificate of Disability for Discharge (CDD) on 24 September 1945. His separation document shows that he was awarded the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster (two awards), and the EAME Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars.
7. On 17 July 2001, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) authorized the applicant the CIB.
8. War Department Circular 269-1943 established the CIB 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 CIB was awarded for exemplary conduct in action against the enemy. War Department Circular 186-1944 further provided that the CIB was to be awarded only to infantrymen serving with infantry units of brigade, regimental or smaller size. Additionally, World War II holders of the CIB received a monthly pay supplement known as combat 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.
9. Army Regulation 600-8-22 authorizes the American Campaign Medal to be awarded for service in the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946; and, the World War II Victory Medal for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946
10. The Awards Branch, Total Army Personnel Command, has advised in similar cases that, during WWII, the CIB 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 provides that the BSM 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 such achievement or service, during that period, was confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. An award of the CIB or the Combat Medical Badge is considered to be a citation in orders. This means, in effect, that the BSM is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during WWII.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant was properly awarded the CIB by the NPRC due to his service in MOS 605, heavy machine gunner, during WWII.
2. Since the applicant was properly awarded the CIB, he is also entitled to the BSM.
3. The applicant is also entitled to have the American Service Medal and the WWII Victory Medal added to his separation document.
4. The other awards given to the applicant by the NPRC cannot be confirmed with the documentation submitted to the Board.
5. 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:
a. showing that the individual concerned was awarded the BSM based upon his award of the CIB; and
b. amending his separation document to add his CIB, BSM, WWII Victory Medal, and American Campaign Medal.
BOARD VOTE:
___mkp__ ____reb_ ___fcj___ GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
_________Margaret K. Patterson_______
CHAIRPERSON
| CASE ID | AR2002082516 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | YYYYMMDD |
| DATE BOARDED | 2002082516 |
| 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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