BOARD DATE: 4 March 2014
DOCKET NUMBER: AR20130011618
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, widow of a deceased former service member (FSM), requests correction of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge) to show all his awards and decorations.
2. The applicant states:
* the FSM earned the awards and decorations and they should be on his records
* his children and grandchildren are interested
3. The applicant provides:
* 2 letters from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
* death certificate
* 2 Honorable Discharge Certificates
* Certificate of Marriage
* WD AGO Form 53-55
CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:
1. The military and medical records of the FSM are not available to the Board for review. A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members' records at the NPRC in 1973. It is believed the FSM's records were lost or destroyed in that fire. The case is being considered using the WD AGO Form 53-55 and other documents provided by the applicant.
2. The FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he was inducted into the Army of the United States on 1 February 1943 and he entered active duty on 8 February 1943. His WD AGO Form 53-55 also shows in:
a. Item 31 (Military Qualification and Date) award of the Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle and Machine Gun Bars.
b. Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) Rhineland and Central Europe.
c. Item 33 (Decorations and Citations) award of the Army Good Conduct Medal, Meritorious Unit Badge, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
d. Item 37 (Total Length of Service) he had 1 year, 5 months, and 12 days of Continental United States service and 1 year, 6 months, and 17 days of foreign service.
e. Item 55 (Remarks) he was issued the Lapel Button (correctly known as the Honorable Service/Lapel Button.
3. On 6 February 1946, the FSM was honorably discharged in the rank of technician fifth grade.
4. The applicant provides two letters from NPRC with regard to the FSM's records. She also provides a copy of the FSM's death certificate, a Certificate of Marriage, and 2 Honorable Discharge Certificates. The discharge certificates show the FSM was assigned to the following units without regard to specific dates of assignment:
* Battery K, 601st Artillery Anti-Aircraft
* Company I, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment
5. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides Department of the Army policy, criteria, and administrative instructions concerning individual military decorations, service medals and ribbons, and similar devices awarded in recognition of accomplishments. This regulation authorizes award of the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal for qualifying service in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations for the period
7 December 1941 to 8 November 1945. This Army regulation also authorizes a bronze service star, based on qualifying service, for each campaign listed in Appendix B of this regulation. This regulation states that authorized bronze service stars will be worn on the appropriate campaign or service medal, including the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:
1. The FSM was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and campaign participation credit for Rhineland and Central Europe. Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his WD AGO Form 53-55 to show two bronze service stars to be affixed to his previously awarded European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
2. Although the applicant provided discharge certificates which show the FSM's unit of assignments, these certificates fail to show assignment time periods. Therefore, the FSM's eligibility for unit awards, if any, cannot be determined.
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 the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal from his WD AGO Form 53-55 and
b. adding the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars 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) AR20130011618
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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20130011618
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