IN THE CASE OF:	 

		BOARD DATE:	  16 October 2008

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20080011822 


THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE:

1.  Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any).

2.  Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any).


THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant, the son of a former service member (FSM), initially requested in effect, that he be provided appropriate documents to show his father was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained during World War II.  In a follow-up request, he requested his father be awarded the Bronze Star Medal and that it be added to his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge.

2.  The applicant states, in effect, that he would like to get a cemetery marker for his father with the Purple Heart on it.  He was awarded the Purple Heart on 
14 March 1945 for wounds he received in Germany.  He needs documentation to give to the Memorial Program Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for his cemetery marker, but his father's records were burned in a fire.

3.  In support of his request, the applicant submitted a copy of his father's WD AGO Form 53-55; a copy of his father's Florida Death Certificate; a copy of a letter he received from the National Personnel Records Center, dated 5 June 2008; a copy of his father's Certification of Military Service, dated 17 June 2008; and a copy of correspondence the applicant received from the VA, dated 14 April 2008.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The FSM's military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Information herein was obtained from his WD AGO Form 53-55 and from other official Army documents.
2.  The evidence shows the FSM enlisted in the Army of the United States on 16 November 1942 and entered active service at Dale Mabry Field, Florida, on the same date.  He was honorably discharged by reason of disability, under the provisions of Section I, Army Regulation (AR) 615-361, in the grade of Private First Class, on 3 May 1946.

3.  Item 6 (Organization), of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows he was assigned to Company K, 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division.

4.  Item 30 (Military Occupational Specialty and No.), of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows he held the military occupational specialty (MOS), 754 (Radio Mechanic), while he served on active duty.

5.  Item 31 (Military Qualification and Date), of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge by General Orders Number 33, dated 29 June 1945.

6.  Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns), of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows only the entry, "Germany."  The FSM was not given credit for his participation in any of the "named campaigns" of World War II.  The named campaign that coincides with the FSM's service time in Germany and his unit's history shows he participated in the Rhineland campaign of World War II.

7.  The FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows, in Item 33 (Decorations and Citations), he received:  the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze service star; the Good Conduct Medal; the Purple Heart; the American Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal.  No other awards or decorations are shown.

8.  Item 34 (Wounds Received in Action), of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows he was wounded in action in Germany on 14 March 1945.

9.  Item 37 (Total Length of Service – Continental Service), of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows he served an aggregate period of 3 year, 3 months, and 13 days Continental service and 2 months and 5 days foreign service.

10.  Item 55 (Remarks), of the applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55, shows he was issued the Lapel Button [correctly known as the Honorable Service/Discharge Emblem].



11.  A health record research project, commonly referred to as the "SGO Files", involved transposing the hospital admission card data from the periods of World 
War II and the Korean conflict onto magnetic tape.  In 1988 the National Research Council made these tape files available to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).  The availability of the information to the NPRC received considerable publicity by the various veterans' service organizations.  It was widely believed that these tapes would become a valuable substitute for the records lost in the NPRC fire of 1973.  It is estimated that the SGO files document 95 percent of all hospitalized battle casualties from World War II and the Korean War.  Searches of these files show the FSM was reported as a battle casualty on 15 March 1945 when he sustained a traumatic amputation of his leg due to the explosion of an artillery shell.  The FSM was hospitalized for 414 days and was discharged or retired for disability purposes in the line of duty. 

12.  AR 600-8-22 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.  Therefore, the Bronze Star Medal is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during World War II.

13.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, for award of the American Campaign Medal.  This campaign medal is awarded for qualifying service in the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946.  Qualifying service for this campaign medal includes permanent assignment outside the continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations, duty as a crewmember aboard a vessel sailing ocean waters for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, or duty outside the continental United States as a passenger or in a temporary duty status for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, or active combat against the enemy and was awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by a corps commander or higher, or service within the continental United States for an aggregate period of one year.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence shows the FSM was awarded the Purple Heart.  This award is already-shown on the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55.

2.  The entry shown on the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 is corroborated by the information recorded in the "SGO Files."  This file shows that the FSM was reported as a battle casualty on 15 March 1945 after he sustained a traumatic amputation of his leg due to the explosion of an artillery shell.  The FSM was hospitalized for 414 days and was discharged or retired for disability purposes in the line of duty. 

3.  The evidence shows the FSM was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge during World War II.  He is therefore entitled to award of the Bronze Star Medal based on the special provisions of the awards regulation that considers award of the Combat Infantryman Badge a citation in orders.  It would be appropriate to award the FSM the Bronze Star Medal and to add it to his WD AGO Form 53-55.

4.  The applicant was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze service star.  The applicant was given credit for his participation in the "Germany" campaign; however, the name of the campaign is not correct.  Item 32 of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 should be corrected to show "Rhineland" as the name of the campaign.

BOARD VOTE:

___x____  ___x____  ___x____  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.  As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by:

   a.  deleting "Germany" from Item 32, of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, and adding the Rhineland Campaign in its place; and 
   
b.  awarding the FSM the Bronze Star Medal, based on his having been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge during World War II, and adding this award to his WD AGO Form 53-55.



      __________x____________
      
       	   CHAIRPERSON
      
I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case.

ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20080011822



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20080011822



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