BOARD DATE:	  5 April 2011

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20100021691 


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 requests the records of his late father, a former service member (FSM), be corrected to show the Army of Occupation Medal (AOM) with Germany Clasp, Belgian Fourragere, and credit for his participation in the Normandy campaign.

2.  The applicant states:

	a.  the FSM should have received the AOM for his work in repatriating German prisoners of war from France;

	b.  the FSM should receive credit for his participation in the Normandy campaign;

	c.  the FSM should be awarded the Belgian Fourragere for being mentioned twice in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army;

	d.  millions of military records were burned in a fire in 1973, making it very difficult to get a complete historic record to confirm the FSM's accomplishments; and

	e.  he recalls some of the FSM's military history of service in World War II.

3.  The applicant provides:

* Letters of Administration of a Small Estate [executor]
* death certificate
* Honorable Discharge Certificate
* WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge)
* Combat Infantryman Badge orders
* Bronze Star Medal (BSM) orders 
* document titled "Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty"
* Medal of the Jubilee of Liberty Certificate
* letters, dated 26 April and 15 July 2010, with attachments

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The FSM's military records were not available to the Board for review.  A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members' records at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in 1973.  It is believed his records were lost in that fire.  However, there were sufficient documents in the reconstructed record which includes his WD AGO Form 53-55 to allow the Board to conduct a fair and impartial review of this case.

2.  The FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he was inducted into the Army of the United States on 17 January 1944 and entered active duty on 7 February 1944.  He served on active duty until being honorably separated on 31 March 1946 in the rank of sergeant.

3.  The FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that he arrived in Scotland on 21 July 1944.  He served with Company C, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division.  He departed the theater on 17 March 1946.  Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) shows he participated in the Northern France and Rhineland campaigns of World War II.

4.  The FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he earned the following awards:

* Army Good Conduct Medal
* Purple Heart
* European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal
* World War II Victory Medal
* Combat Infantryman Badge
* Marksman Marksmanship Qualification Badge with M-1 Rifle Bar

5.  The applicant provides U.S. Army Human Resources Command Permanent Order Number 191-01, dated 9 July 2004, announcing the FSM's award of the BSM.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards.  Paragraph 5-10 provides guidance on the AOM and states it is authorized for 30 consecutive days of service while assigned to a qualifying area.  This award is authorized for service in Germany between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955.

7.  Paragraph 5-12 of Army Regulation 600-8-22 contains guidance on the EAME Campaign Medal and states a bronze service star is authorized with this award for each campaign a member participated in while serving in the European theater of operations (ETO).  A silver service star is used in lieu of five bronze service stars to denote participation in five campaigns.

8.  Paragraph 9-18 of Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides guidance for award of the Belgian Fourragere.  It states it is awarded by the Belgian Government when a unit has been cited twice in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army.  The award of the fourragere is not automatic but must be by specific decree of the Belgian Government.

9.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Campaign Participation Credit Register) establishes the eligibility of individual members for campaign participation credit, assault landing credit, and unit citation badges awarded during World War II.  It confirms that during the FSM's tenure of assignment in the ETO, his unit (60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division) was awarded the Belgian Fourragere by Department of the Army General Order Number 43-50 and received occupation credit for Germany.  It also shows his unit was further credited with participation the Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and Normandy campaigns in addition to the two campaigns already identified in his WD AGO Form 53-55.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant contends the FSM should be awarded the AOM, Belgian Fourragere, and credit for his participation in the Normandy campaign.

2.  Based on the FSM's World War II service from 21 July 1944 to 17 March 1946 and his campaign participation identified in Army Pamphlet 672-1, he is eligible for the Belgian Fourragere, AOM with Germany Clasp, and one silver service star with his EAME Campaign Medal.  Therefore, these awards should be added to his WD AGO Form 53-55 at this time and the additional campaigns should be added.

3.  In addition, the FSM was awarded the BSM in official orders subsequent to his active duty service, but it is not currently reflected on his WD AGO Form     53-55.  Therefore it should be added at this time.

BOARD VOTE:

___x____  ___x____  ___x____  GRANT FULL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The Board determined the evidence presented is 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.  amending item 33 of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 by adding the BSM, Belgian Fourragere, AOM with Germany Clasp, and one silver service star with his already-awarded EAME Campaign Medal; 

	b.  amending his WD AGO Form 53-55 to add the Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and Normandy campaigns; and

	c.  providing the applicant a correction to the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 that reflects these changes.



      ___________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)                                         AR20100021691



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20100021691



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