RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


      IN THE CASE OF:


      BOARD DATE:        28 JUNE 2005
      DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20040009463


      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. Kenneth H. Aucock             |     |Analyst              |

      The following members, a quorum, were present:

|     |Mr. Joe Schroeder                 |     |Chairperson          |
|     |Mr. Lawrence Foster               |     |Member               |
|     |Ms. Jeanette McCants              |     |Member               |

      The Board considered the following evidence:

      Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records.

      Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including advisory opinion,
if any).

THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant requests that his record show that he served on Saipan
during World War II.

2.  The applicant states that he was with Battery D, 106th Field Artillery
of the   27th Infantry Division and took part in the “Battle of Saipan.”
That information was omitted when he was discharged at Fort Dix on 19
August 1945.  He believes that the omission was a simple clerical error,
which he did not question at that time.  He wanted out of the Army.  In his
final years, he feels that the error should be corrected so that his
grandchildren would know of his service to his country.

3.  The applicant provides no evidence.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant is requesting correction of an alleged error or injustice
which occurred on 19 August 1945.  The application submitted in this case
is dated     27 September 2004.

2.  Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552(b), provides that applications for
correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery
of the alleged error or injustice.  This provision of law allows the Army
Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse failure to file
within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines that it
would be in the interest of justice to do so.  In this case, the ABCMR will
conduct a review of the merits of the case to determine if it would be in
the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file.

3.  The applicant’s military records are not available to the Board for
review.  A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members’ records
at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973.  It is believed that the
applicant’s records were lost or destroyed in that fire.  However, there
are sufficient documents available for the Board to conduct a fair and
impartial review of this case.

4.  The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of
Separation) shows that he entered on active duty on 15 October 1940 and
served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II.
He arrived in the CPTO (Central Pacific Theater of Operations) on 17 April
1942, and returned to the Untied States on 22 June 1945.  His record shows
his organization as Battery A, 225th Field Artillery Battalion.  It shows
that he participated in two campaigns – Philippine Islands and Ryukyus.
His record shows that he was wounded in action in the Western Pacific
Theater of Operations on 6 December 1944 and was awarded the Purple Heart
by authority of Headquarters, XXIV Corps General Order Number 8, dated 17
January 1945.

5.  United States Marine Corps Historical Monograph, titled “Saipan: The
Beginning of the End,”  published by the Historical Section, Division of
Public Information, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, lists the
task organization for the battle of Saipan in appendix VII of that
document.  The task organization includes the 225th Field Artillery
Battalion of the XXIV Corps Artillery, and the 106th Field Artillery
Battalion of the 27th Infantry Division.  Chapter 3 of the text covers the
expansion of the beachhead in the battle for Saipan, beginning on D-plus 1,
16 June 1944, and states in pertinent part, “Brigadier General Arthur M.
Harper, USA, Commanding General of XXIV Corps Artillery, landed at 1515.
He had issued orders before leaving the ship to advance parties of
artillery groups and battalions to meet him on shore. … Advance parties of
the Army’s 419th and 420th Field Artillery Groups, the 225th and 531st
Field Artillery Battalions, and elements of the Corps Artillery staff
reported there before dark.”

6.  The text continued, “Shortly after noon, Major General Ralph C. Smith,
USA, commanding the 27th Division, received a warning order from NTLF …
Ralph Smith was informed that 27th Division artillery battalions were to
land as soon as possible to support marine divisions already ashore. … Also
landed during the night … were three battalions of the 27th Division’s
artillery:  the 105th, 106th and 249th Field Artillery Battalions. “

7.  A brochure of the Western Pacific campaign prepared by the Center for
Military History shows that the island of Saipan in the Marianas
archipelago was assaulted by marines on 15 June 1944, and that the first
Army units, to include the 106th Field Artillery Battalion came ashore the
next day.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides a list and the inclusive dates of
World War II campaigns, to include Leyte (Philippine Islands), 17 October
1944 to         1 July 1945; Luzon (Philippine Islands), 15 December 1944
to 4 July 1945; Southern Philippines, 27 February 1945 to 4 July 1945; and
Ryukyus, 26 March 1945 to 2 July 1945.  The dates for the Western Pacific
campaign were from      15 June 1944 to 2 September 1945.

9.  The Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register shows that
the 225th Field Artillery Battalion participated in the Leyte, Ryukyus, and
Western Pacific campaigns during World War II, and that it was awarded the
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for its actions from 7 December 1941
to 10 May 1942, or from 17 October 1944 to 4 July 1945.

10.  That register also shows the 106th Field Artillery Battalion, 27th
Infantry Division, participated in the Ryukyus and Western Pacific
campaigns during the war.

11.  The World War II Victory Medal is awarded for service between 7
December 1941 and 31 December 1946.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant’s report of separation shows that he participated in two
campaigns during World War II, Philippine Islands and Ryukyus.  The Ryukyus
campaign did not start until 26 March 1945.  The earliest beginning date
for campaigns conducted in the Philippine Islands was 15 December 1944.
The applicant received credit for participation in those two campaigns;
however, he arrived in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations on 17
April 1942, and was wounded in action in the Western Pacific Theater of
Operations on 6 December 1944.

2.  Both the 225th Field Artillery Battalion and the 106th Field Artillery
Battalion participated in the Western Pacific campaigns during the war, and
both were involved in the “Battle of Saipan” in June 1944.

3.  The applicant’s report of separation shows he was assigned to the
225th.  There is no evidence, however, to show that he was assigned to the
106th.  Nonetheless, there appears to be no good reason to doubt his word.

4.  The evidence indicates that he participated in the Western Pacific
campaign during the war, and specifically was involved in the “Battle of
Saipan.”  The battle for Saipan, was not a separate campaign, but one of
the many actions in the Western Pacific campaign which began with the
battle for Saipan in June 1944.
There are, however, no provisions for identifying actions other than
designated campaigns on a service member’s records.  Current policy in fact
does not provide for identification of specific campaigns, but provides for
award of service stars on campaign ribbons, e.g., Vietnam Service Medal
with one bronze service star, Korean Service Medal with two bronze service
stars, etc., and Soldiers records to be so annotated.  Nonetheless, records
of World War II Soldiers did identify the specific campaigns they
participated in.

5.  The applicant served in the Western Pacific campaign during World War
II.  His record should be corrected accordingly.  It would be appropriate,
in this instance and as a matter of equity, to also correct his record to
show that he served in Saipan during the war.

6.  The applicant is entitled to award of the Philippine Presidential Unit
Citation and the World War II Victory Medal.

BOARD VOTE:

__JS____  ___LF___  ___JM __  GRANT FULL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant
a recommendation for relief and to excuse failure to timely file.  As a
result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the
individual concerned be corrected by showing that he participated in the
Western Pacific campaign and participated in the battle for Saipan during
World War II; and that he was awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit and
World War II Victory Medal.




                            ______Joe Schroeder______
                                      CHAIRPERSON



                                    INDEX

|CASE ID                 |AR20040009463                           |
|SUFFIX                  |                                        |
|RECON                   |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DATE BOARDED            |20050628                                |
|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.       |100.00                                  |
|2.                      |                                        |
|3.                      |                                        |
|4.                      |                                        |
|5.                      |                                        |
|6.                      |                                        |


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