IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  30 April 2013

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20120016082 


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 deceased former service member (FSM), requests reconsideration of his earlier request to correct the records of his father to show all awards he may have been entitled to.
 
2.  The applicant states his father did not serve with the 393rd Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, as stated in the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) Record of Proceedings, Docket Number AR20120000772, dated 17 July 2012.  He states his father served with Company G, 313th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division.  He further states when his father separated from service, his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge) contained incorrect information that was later amended and has an effect on his unit awards.

3.  The applicant provides:

* ABCMR Record of Proceedings, Docket Number AR20120000772
* Two copies of the same WD AGO Form(s) 53-55 labeled "A" and "B"
* a self-authored statement
* Two pages from the FSM's unit book entitled, "History of the 313th Infantry in World War II"


CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  Incorporated herein by reference are military records which were summarized in the previous consideration of the applicant's case by the ABCMR in Docket Number AR20120000772 on 17 July 2012.

2.  The applicant submits two pages from the FSM's unit book entitled, "History of the 313th Infantry in World War II" and an amended WD AGO Form 53-55 that were not previously reviewed by the ABCMR; therefore, they are considered new evidence that warrants consideration by the Board.

3.  The FSM'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 his records were lost or destroyed in that fire.  However, there were sufficient documents remaining in a reconstructed record and documents submitted by the applicant for the Board to conduct a fair and impartial review of this case.

4.  The available evidence shows the FSM was inducted into the Army of the United States on 2 September 1943 and he entered active duty on 23 September 1943.  He served in military occupational specialty 746 (automatic rifleman).

5.  The FSM served 8 months and 9 days in the continental United States (CONUS), and 1 year, 5 months, and 4 days in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).  One of his WD AGO Forms 53-55 (the one previously considered) show he served as an automatic rifleman (infantryman) with Headquarters Company, 393rd Infantry Regiment.

6.  On 18 November 1945, the FSM was honorably discharged.  The WD AGO Form 53-55 the FSM was issued at the time, as corrected by a DD Form 215 (Correction to Separation Document), dated 12 September 2012, shows in:

	a.  item 31 (Military Qualification (i.e. infantry, aviation, and marksmanship badges) he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge.

	b.  item 33 (Battles and Campaigns) he served in the following campaigns:

* Normandy (6 June through 24 July 1944)
* Northern France (25 July through 14 September 1944)
* Rhineland (15 September 1944 through 21 March 1945)
* Central Europe (22 March through 11 May 1945)


	c.  item 34 (Decorations and Citations) he was awarded the following awards:

* Bronze Star Medal (based on award of the Combat Infantryman Badge)
* Purple Heart with 2 oak leaf clusters
* Army Good Conduct Medal
* European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars
* World War II Victory Medal
* Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp
* Meritorious Unit Commendation (2nd Award)
* Belgian Fourregere
* Combat Infantryman Badge

7.  The applicant provides what appears to be an amended copy of the FSM's
WD AGO Form 53-55 (labeled "B") that was not previously reviewed by the Board.  The copy contains the statement, "Items initialed by me have been amended to conform to the official records."  It is authenticated by signature of The Adjutant General and date stamped "SEP 25 1962."  The FSM's amended WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he served in World War II with Company G,
313th Infantry Regiment, in the ETO from 17 April 1944 to 11 September 1945.  The following items were initialed/amended from the original WD AGO Form    53-55:

* Item 6 (Organization) "Co G, 313th Inf Regt"
* Item 24 (Date of Entry Into Active Service) "23 Sep 43"
* Item 25 (Place of Entry Into Service) "Milwaukee Wis"
* Item 29 (Home Address at Time of Entry Into Service) "Kennan Wis"

8.  The applicant also provides pages from the FSM's unit book entitled, "History of the 313th Infantry in World War II."  Page 198 contains what appears to be the FSM's name and rank.  Page 203 shows the President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic cited the 79th Infantry Division award of the Croix De Guerre with Palm.  The 313th Infantry Regiment is listed as a subordinate regiment of the 79th Infantry Division.

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.  This pamphlet shows:

	a.  In addition to the campaigns already shown on the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55, the 313th Infantry Regiment was also credited with serving in the Ardennes-Alsace (16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945) campaign.

	b.  The 313th Infantry Regiment was cited for award of the Distinguished Unit Citation (now known as the Presidential Unit Citation) for the period
31 December 1944 through 21 January 1945 by War Department General Order Number 54, dated 1945.

	c.  The 313th Infantry Regiment was cited for award of the French Fourragere for the periods 19 June through 27 August 1944 and 21 through 24 November 1944 by Department of the Army General Order Number 43, dated 1950.

	d.  The 313th Infantry Regiment was not cited for award of the Meritorious Unit Commendation (1st or 2nd Award) or the Belgian Fourragere. 

10.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states paragraph 5–13 contains the regulatory guidance on the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.  It states a bronze service star is authorized with this award for each campaign a member is credited with participating in.  A silver service star will be worn in lieu of five bronze service stars.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The FSM's amended WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he served in World War II with Company G, 313th Infantry Regiment, in the ETO from 17 April 1944 to
11 September 1945.  This form appears to have been officially corrected after his separation from active duty, and it is accepted as a valid record of his service at the time of his separation.

2.  In addition to the four campaigns already listed on the FSM's WD AGO Form
53-55, the FSM's unit was also credited with serving in the Ardennes-Alsace campaign during his period of assignment.  Therefore, items 32 and 33 of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 should be corrected accordingly.

3.  The unit to which the FSM was assigned was cited for award of the Presidential Unit Citation (formerly known as the Distinguished Unit Citation).  Therefore, the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 should be corrected to show this unit award.



4.  The FSM's unit was cited for the French Fourragere during his period of assignment.  Therefore, the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 should be corrected to show these foreign awards.

5.  Based on the newly accepted evidence which shows the FSM served with Company G, 313th Infantry Regiment; the Meritorious Unit Commendation     (2nd Award) and Belgian Fourragere (as awarded in Docket Number AR20120000772, dated 17 July 2012) would not have been awarded to the FSM and are not authorized.

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 amendment of the ABCMR's decision in Docket Number AR20120000772, dated 17 July 2012.  As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by:

	a.  deleting from item 33 of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars, the Meritorious Unit Commendation (2nd Award), and the Belgian Fourragere;

	b.  adding to item 32 of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 the Ardennes-Alsace campaign; and 

   c.  adding to item 33 of the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 the:

* European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver service star


* Presidential Unit Citation
* French Fourragere




      ___________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)                                         AR20120016082



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20120016082



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