IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  29 April 2014

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20130015029 


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 reconsideration of his previous request for correction of his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) to show his foreign service in Saipan and Guam.  In addition, he requests correction of his DD Form 214 to show:

* Completion of the Engineer School, April 1949
* award of the Korean Service Medal with the appropriate number of bronze service stars

2.  The applicant states, in effect, that both his DD Form 214 and DD Form 215 (Correction to DD Form 214) are incorrect.  Specifically, he contends that his service in Guam and Spain is not reflected, he is entitled additional bronze service stars, and he completed the Engineer School.

3.  The applicant provides:

* photographs
* self-authored personal military history
* Domain of the Golden Dragon certificate
* Engineer School completion certificate
* Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) letter, dated 15 July 2013
* post-service medical documents
* USS Haven (AH-12) Wikipedia article



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 Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) in Docket Number AR20120016223, on 2 April 2013.

2.  As new evidence, he provided his self-authored military history, photographs, a Domain of the Golden Dragon certificate, an Engineer School Course completion certificate, and a VA letter, dated 15 July 2013.  This new evidence warrants consideration by the Board.

3.  During the original review of the case, the Board found that his overseas service was properly reflected on his DD Form 214 and there was no evidence to show that he served in Saipan.

4.  The applicant's complete 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 the applicant's records were lost or destroyed in that fire.  

5.  His DD Form 214 shows:

* he enlisted in the Regular Army on 17 November 1948
* he completed 3 years, 6 months, and 11 days of active service 
* he completed 2 years, 4 months, and 22 days of foreign service (Foreign and/or Sea Service)
* he completed the Engineer Heavy Equipment Course at Fort Belvoir, VA in April 1949 in item 30 (Service Schools or Colleges, College Training Courses and/or Post-Grad, Courses Successfully Completed)
* he did not complete any other training courses in item 31 (Service Training Courses Successfully Completed)
* he was honorably discharged on 27 May 1952 (using reconstructed service records)

6.  He was subsequently issued a DD Form 215 which shows he was awarded or authorized the Korean Service Medal with bronze service star, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

7.  The applicant provided:

	a.  A letter from the VA and other allied medical documents which show the applicant received treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
	b.  Photographs that he contends were taken in Guam, Saipan, and Japan.

	c.  A Domain of the Golden Dragon Certificate which shows he crossed the Meridian on 2 June 1949.  This is an unofficial Navy document and does not provide the final destination of the traveler.

	d.  A self-authored account of his military history in which he further contends that:

* he participated in the Invasion of the Pusan Perimeter on 5 August 1950
* he was in Taegu, Korea, during the Inchon Invasion on 15 September 1950
* he was present during the period of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Chinese offenses 
* he suffered from frostbite and internal bleeding and he was medically evacuated to the Hope Hospital Ship (also known as the USS Haven (AH-12)) and later assigned to the Military Hospital in Kyoto, Japan
* his combat tour covered the period from 5 August 1950 through 3 June 1951

	e.  Course completion certificate for the Engineer School, Fort Belvoir, VA, dated 22 April 1949.

8.  Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents), dated 23 January 1967, specified that item 22c would contain the total amount of active duty served outside the continental limits of the United States during the period covered by the DD Form 214 and the last overseas theater in which the service was performed, e.g., "Foreign and/or Sea Service (USAREUR [United States Army Europe]."  Item 30 would be used to complete entries too long for their respective blocks.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant's contentions are noted and his service in Korea is not in question; however, the new evidence he provided does not definitively show that he served in Saipan or Guam nor does it show the specific dates of his overseas service which is necessary in order to determine his battle campaign participation (entitlement to additional bronze service stars).  Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to correct the record to show additional foreign service locations or his entitlement to additional bronze service stars.

2.  In regard to completion of the Engineer School, his DD Form 214 correctly shows that he completed the Engineer School in April 1949.  It appears that the applicant is referring to the entry in item 31 of his DD Form 214 which indicates that he did not complete any service training courses.  There is no error on this matter.
3.  In view of the above, his request for reconsideration should be denied.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

___x____  ___x_____  ____x____  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice.  Therefore, the Board determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis to amend the decision of the ABCMR set forth in Docket Number AR20120016223, dated3 April 2013.




      _______ _   _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)                                         AR20130015029



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20130015029



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