RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


      IN THE CASE OF:


      BOARD DATE:           22 September 2005
      DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20050002342


      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             |
|     |Ms. Wanda L. Waller               |     |Analyst              |


      The following members, a quorum, were present:

|     |Mr. James Anderholm               |     |Chairperson          |
|     |Mr. Bernard Ingold                |     |Member               |
|     |Mr. Michael Flynn                 |     |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, in effect, award of the Combat Infantryman
Badge and the Bronze Star Medal (based on award of the Combat Infantryman
Badge).

2.  The applicant states, in effect, he never received the Bronze Star
Medal (based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge).

3.  The applicant provides a copy of his Enlisted Record and Honorable
Discharge Certificate.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant is requesting correction of alleged errors which occurred
on
8 January 1945.  The application submitted in this case is dated 28
December 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 limitation 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
were sufficient documents remaining in a reconstructed record for the Board
to conduct a fair and impartial review of this case.

4.  The applicant’s Enlisted Record shows he entered active duty on 16
January 1941.  He served in the European Theater of Operations from 6
October 1942 through 26 June 1943 and was honorably discharged on 8 January
1945 by reason of physical disability.

5.  The applicant’s Enlisted Record shows the Purple Heart, the American
Defense Service Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Medal with two bronze service stars as authorized awards.

6.  There are no orders for the Combat Infantryman Badge in the available
records.  However, the applicant’s War Department Form 372B (Final Payment
– Work Sheet) shows he received combat infantry pay.

7.  War Department Circular 269-1943 established the Combat Infantryman
Badge 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 Combat Infantryman
Badge was awarded for exemplary conduct in action against the enemy.  War
Department Circular 186-1944 further provided that the Combat Infantryman
Badge was to be awarded only to infantrymen serving with infantry units of
brigade, regimental or smaller size.  Additionally, World War II holders of
the Combat Infantryman Badge received a monthly pay supplement known as
combat infantry pay and holders of the Expert Infantryman Badge were
entitled to expert 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.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part,
that the Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroism and for meritorious
achievement or service in military operations against an armed enemy.  The
Bronze Star Medal 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 achievement or service,
during that period, was confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July
1947.  An award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge
is considered to be a citation in orders.  This means, in effect, that the
Bronze Star Medal is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized
either badge for service during World War II.

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, for award of the
World War II Victory Medal.  It is awarded for service between 7 December
1941 and 31 December 1946, both dates inclusive.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant received combat infantry pay during World War II.
Therefore, there is sufficient evidence on which to base award of the
Combat Infantryman Badge in this case.

2.  Based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge, the applicant is
entitled to award of the Bronze Star Medal.

3.  The applicant served a period of qualifying service for award of the
World War II Victory Medal.

4.  Records show the applicant should have discovered the alleged errors
now under consideration on 8 January 1945; therefore, the time for the
applicant to file a request for correction of any error or injustice
expired on 1 January 1950
(3 years after the Board was established on 2 January 1947).  The applicant
did not file within the 3-year statute of limitations; however, based on
the available evidence it would be in the interest of justice to excuse
failure to timely file in this case.

BOARD VOTE:

JA_____  _BI_____  _MF_____  GRANT 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 amending his WD AGO Form 53-55 to show
he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal (based
on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge), and the World War II Victory
Medal.




            ___James Anderholm____
                    CHAIRPERSON




                                    INDEX

|CASE ID                 |AR20050002342                           |
|SUFFIX                  |                                        |
|RECON                   |                                        |
|DATE BOARDED            |20050922                                |
|TYPE OF DISCHARGE       |                                        |
|DATE OF DISCHARGE       |                                        |
|DISCHARGE AUTHORITY     |                                        |
|DISCHARGE REASON        |                                        |
|BOARD DECISION          |GRANT                                   |
|REVIEW AUTHORITY        |                                        |
|ISSUES         1.       |107.0111                                |
|2.                      |107.0014                                |
|3.                      |107.0000                                |
|4.                      |                                        |
|5.                      |                                        |
|6.                      |                                        |


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