RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04555 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to reflect his Vietnam service. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He cannot be added to the Agent Orange registry because his deployment from Pope Air Force Base (AFB) North Carolina to Da Nang, Vietnam, in May of 1962 is not reflected on his DD Form 214. In support of his request the applicant submits documents extracted from his military personnel records, letters from former military coworkers and a personal letter sent to his fiancée from Da Nang. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 21 November 1958. He was progressively promoted to the grade of Airman First Class, E-4. He was discharged on 8 January 1963 with an honorable characterization of service and was credited with serving 4 years, 1 month and 18 days of active duty which included 3 years, 2 months and 23 days of Foreign and/or Sea Service. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: HQ AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial. DPAPP states a review of the applicant’s master personnel records and documentation submitted failed to provide any documents that substantiate foreign service in Vietnam. The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 22 February 2012 for review and comment within 30 days. To date, this office has not received a response. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2. The application was not timely filed; however, it is in the interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file. 3. Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice with regard to the applicant’s request for Vietnam service credit. Based on the applicant’s Temporary Duty Travel Order to participate in classified training missions and letters and photographs from former military coworkers confirming his presence in Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, we find the evidence sufficient to resolve any doubt we might have in this matter in favor of the applicant. Therefore, to avoid a possible injustice and in recognition of his service to the Nation, we recommend his records be corrected as indicated below. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that he had boots on the ground in the Republic of Vietnam from 26 May 1962 through 21 November 1962. ________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered this application BC-2011-02636 in Executive Session on 28 June 2012, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149 dated 15 November 2011, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 14 February 2012. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 23 February 2012.