2.  The applicant requests that his report of separation be corrected to reflect his correct military occupational specialty, campaign credit for the Battle of the Bulge, the dates of his internment as a prisoner of war (POW) and that he be awarded a combat badge.

3.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Information herein was obtained from alternate sources.

4.  The applicant was inducted into the Army on 26 February 1943 and entered active service on 5 March 1943.  He arrived in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) on 17 November 1944, was captured by the Germans on      19 December 1944, liberated on 30 March 1945, departed the ETO on 21 April 1945 and separated on 18 November 1945.  His report of separation shows he had served as a field lineman and was awarded the Victory Medal with three bronze stars, the American Theater Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

5.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides for the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge to a soldier who is an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, who is assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must actively participate in such ground combat.  Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant’s separation qualification record shows he served as a field lineman; that is the correct entry on his report of separation.  Block 31 is for badges, for which there is no evidence in his records that he was awarded any.

2.  The applicant is not eligible for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge as he was not an infantryman performing infantry duties.

3.  The applicant should have received campaign credit for the Ardennes-Alsace (the Battle of the Bulge) campaign.

4.  Bronze stars are not authorized for wear on the World War II Victory Medal.

5.  In view of the foregoing, it would be in the interest of justice to correct the applicant’s records as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by:

     a.  adding to block 32 of the applicant’s report of separation:  Ardennes-Alsace;

     b.  deleting from block 33 of the applicant’s report of separation:  Victory Medal three bronze stars and adding World War II Victory Medal; and

     c.  adding to block 55 of the applicant’s report of separation:  POW 19 Dec 44 to 30 Mar 45.

2.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.

BOARD VOTE:

                       GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

                       GRANT FORMAL HEARING

                       DENY APPLICATION

                                                                         
    CHAIRPERSON