| Mr. Carl W. S. Chun | Director | |
| Mr. Luis Almodova | Analyst |
| Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor | Chairperson | ||
| Ms. Lana E. McGlynn | Member | ||
| Ms. Yolanda Maldonado | Member |
THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:
1. The applicant requests that the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device be added to his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
2. The applicant states, in effect, that the Military Awards Branch, Human Resources Command (formerly the U.S. Total Army Personnel Command) made the award on 12 July 2001, and it has not been added to his service record.
3. The applicant provides a copy of letters addressed to the applicant from the Chief, Military Awards Branch, dated 6 March 2003, and from this Board dated 17 October 2002, and a self authored letter, which gives the Board an update pertinent to his quest for award of the Silver Star and other issues.
CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:
1. On 27 April 2001, a United States Representative in Congress from the State of California referred a recommendation to the Military Awards Branch for award of the Silver Star to the applicant for his heroic actions on 1 December 1944.
2. The recommendation for award of the Silver Star was considered by the Army Decorations Board but the board determined that the degree of action displayed did not meet the strict criteria for the proposed award and instead recommended award of the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for valor.
3. The Commanding General, United States Total Army Personnel Command, on behalf of the Secretary of the Army, approved the award of the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for valor.
4. The applicant was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for Valor by Permanent Orders 213-1, published by the U.S. Total Army Personnel Command, dated 1 August 2001.
5. On 1 August 2001, the Military Awards Branch notified the applicant's member of Congress about the approved award and that the criteria for award of the Silver Star had not been met. He [the congressman] was provided with the permanent orders announcing the award, the Bronze Star Medal Certificate, and the engraved medal set. An indication was made in this letter that the National Personnel Records Center was provided the same information so that the applicant's Official Military Personnel File could be updated.
6. On 24 September 2002, the applicant wrote a letter to the Military Awards Branch concerning his desire to have the award of the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for valor upgraded to a Silver Star.
7. In the letter of reply addressed to the applicant from the Chief, Military Awards Branch, dated 6 March 2003, he was notified that Department of Defense policy allows for reconsideration of an award recommendation only if there is substantive new evidence presented that was not previously considered by the board. The Military Awards Branch notified him that, regrettably, without substantive new evidence, to include an official unit report of the action, and eyewitness affidavits, his request for reconsideration could not be approved.
8. In the letter that the applicant included with his DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Record, the applicant states that he was completely unaware that the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for valor had been awarded, and that it had been awarded as far back as 12 July 2001. He further states that he received no notice and no medal.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
1. The applicant was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for Valor.
2. There is no evidence that the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for Valor was added to his separation document. It would be appropriate to do so at this time.
BOARD VOTE:
_LEM___ __YM___ ___RO___ GRANT RELIEF
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION
| CASE ID | AR2003090759 |
| SUFFIX | |
| RECON | |
| DATE BOARDED | |
| TYPE OF DISCHARGE | |
| DATE OF DISCHARGE | |
| DISCHARGE AUTHORITY | |
| DISCHARGE REASON | |
| BOARD DECISION | GRANT |
| REVIEW AUTHORITY | |
| ISSUES 1. 46 | 107.0000 |
| 2. 60 | 107.0015 |
| 3. | |
| 4. | |
| 5. | |
| 6. |
ARMY | BCMR | CY2013 | 20130013747
Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). His original DD Form 214 for the period ending 30 January 2005 shows the Meritorious Unit Commendation (3rd Award) and Valorous Unit Award as authorized awards. As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of the application that pertains to amending his DD Form 214 for the period ending 30 January 2005 to show the following awards: * Silver Star * Joint Meritorious Unit Award * Expert...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2015 | 20150000339
It appears this award recommendation was not processed at the time because the U.S. Army Awards and Decorations Board required the endorsement of the senior Special Forces commanders in 2003 during Operation Enduring Freedom. e. It is the responsibility of any individual having personal knowledge of an act, achievement, or service believed to warrant the award of a decoration to submit a formal recommendation into military command channels for consideration within 2 years of the act,...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2004 | 04101023C070208
A March 2000 letter to the Board, from the applicant’s former commander, which is also contained in documents available to the Board, stated that he (the former commander) wrote to the Board in December 1999 recommending that the applicant be awarded the Bronze Star Medal for “aggressive action in hand-to-hand combat and then inflicting numerous casualties while under heavy enemy fire and with complete disregard for his personal safety was a gallant act and also merits recognition.”...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2013 | 20130009295
His reconsideration request to HRC for award of the Silver Star which included the following summary prepared by Colonel (Retired) D____ T. M____ who stated: (1) On 1 March 2011, the HRC Awards and Decorations Branch disapproved a number of awards including the Silver Star for the applicant, the Silver Star for First Sergeant J____ C____, and four awards of the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device for Soldiers whom the applicant had recommended for those awards. It suggested that he should...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2004 | 20040002754C070208
Again the basis for authorizing the decorations, which were not confirmed on either the applicant’s original separation document or the 1989 Department of Defense Form 215, was not in records available to the Board, but may merely have duplicated some of the awards listed on the questionable 30 September 1991 issuing document. Army Regulation 600-8-22 states that the Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action against the enemy. There is no medical evidence, and the applicant has not...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2012 | 20120021055
Department of the Army General Orders (DAGO) Number 25, dated 8 June 2001, shows the 4th Battalion, 503rd Infantry was cited for award of the VUA for extraordinary heroism during the period 30 January to 31 January 1968. This pamphlet shows the units to which the applicant was assigned were cited for award of the: * Presidential Unit Citation for the period 6 November through 23 November 1967 by DAGO Number 42, dated 1969 (4th Battalion, 503d Infantry) * Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110004263
On 29 October 2007, the applicants command sergeant major (CSM), who was also in the ILARNG and deployed to Iraq with the applicant, submitted a DA Form 638 recommending the applicant for award of the Silver Star for exceptional gallantry in action against enemy forces on 12 October 2007. The applicants rater and commanding general recommended approval of award of the Silver Star and forwarded the recommendation to the Multinational Coalition (MNC) C-3 (Task Force Phantom) who recommended...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2003 | 2003089380C070403
In support of his application, the applicant submitted, in addition to his DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Record, an over two-page memorandum, dated 11 April 2003, to the Board outlining his contentions and requesting that PERSCOM be directed to correct his records and that he be reconsidered for promotion to major; a copy of a memorandum he submitted to the Staff Judge Advocate, US Army Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee, Fort Lee, Virginia, and the Commandant,...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2011 | 20110003888
There are no orders for the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device in the available records. Item 41 (Awards and Decorations) of his DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) does not show the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device. A review of the Awards and Decorations Computer-Assisted Retrieval System (ADCARS), an index of general orders issued during the Vietnam era between 1965 and 1973 maintained by the Military Awards Branch of the United States Army Human Resources Command, failed to...
ARMY | BCMR | CY2008 | 20080010188
There are no orders or other evidence on file in his military records that confirms award of the Bronze Star Medal, with "V" Device. The evidence shows that the applicant was awarded the Air Medal, 1st through 5th OLC, for his service in Vietnam during the period 24 September 1967 to 18 September 1968. Based on the evidence, the applicant is eligible for a correction to his DD Form 214, with an effective date of 10 August 1976, to show he was awarded the Air Medal 7th through 9th Award.