PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:    

	BOARD DATE:            29 April 1999                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AC98-07135
				   AR1999021398

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.  

	Mr. Loren G. Harrell		Director	
	Ms. Deborah L. Brantley		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Ann M. Campbell		Chairperson	
	Mr. Edwin S. Castle		Member	
	Mr. Christopher J. Prosser		Member	

	The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

FINDINGS:

1.  The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

2.  The applicant requests, in effect, that his records be changed to reflect that he arrived overseas on 8 November 1942 and that he was credited with participation in the French Morocco-Algeria campaign.  In support of his request he submits several statements attesting to his participation and a 1945 memorandum from Headquarters, 9th Field Artillery Battalion.

3.  Records reconstructed by the Board indicate the applicant entered active duty on 10 June 1941 and was ultimately assigned to Battery B, 9th Field Artillery Battalion which was part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

4.  Although item 36 (service outside continental U.S.) on his WD AGO Form 53-55 (report of separation) indicates he departed the United States on 12 December 1942 and arrived in the North African Theater of Operation on 24 December 1942 a statement completed on 15 July 1945 by the Personnel Officer for the 9th Field Artillery Battalion confirms the applicant participated in the initial landing by the battalion at Fedula, French Morocco on 8 November 1942 and participated in the French Morocco Campaign between 8 and 11 November 1942.

5.  The applicant ultimately returned to the United States in August 1945 and was released from active duty on 13 August 1945 as a result of demobilization.

6.  His separation document indicates he participated in 6 designated campaign periods including, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, and Central Europe.  In 1997 officials at the Army Reserve Personnel Center authorized the applicant three additional campaign stars (Anzio, Ardennes-Alsace and Rhineland) which brought his total number of campaign service stars to 9.

7.  A review of Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) confirms the applicant’s unit, Battery B, was one of three batteries of the 9th Field Artillery Battalion to participate in the landing in North Africa on 8 November 1942.  The information contained in Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 is confirmed in statements provided by four former members of the 9th Field Artillery Battalion.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, which establishes the policies for the award of military decorations, states that service stars are worn on campaign and service ribbons to denote participation in designated campaign periods.  Participants of World War II wear their service stars on the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.  A silver service star is worn instead of five bronze service stars.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  There is sufficient evidence to conclude that the entry in item 36 (service outside U.S.) regarding the applicant’s arrival in the North African Theater of Operations is in error.  While the entry indicates he arrived on 24 December 1942, an official document rendered by the applicant’s battalion personnel officer in 1945 and confirmed by several statements indicates he participated in the 
8 November 1942 landing in French Morocco.

2.  However, while it is fairly certain the applicant arrived in the theater on 
8 November 1942 there is no evidence to confirm the applicant’s departure date from the U.S. enroute to Africa, although clearly the date currently reflected 
(12 December 1942) is in error.  As such it would be appropriate to replace the 12 December 1942 departure date with “unknown” but replace the 24 December 1942 arrival date with 8 November 1942.

3.  Based on the 1945 document from the 9th Field Artillery Battalion it is also apparent the applicant is entitled to a campaign service star for the French Morocco-Algeria campaign which would bring his total number of campaign service stars to 10.  In accordance with Army Regulation 600-8-22 the applicant’s 10 service stars would be reflected as 2 silver service stars on his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

4.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

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

a.  by correcting the entry in item 36 on his separation document to show that the individual concerned date of departure from the U.S. enroute to North Africa is “unknown” but his arrival date was 8 November 1942; and

b.  by showing that he is entitled to two silver service stars on his European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal denoting participation in 10 designated campaign periods (French Morocco-Algeria, Anzio, Ardennes-Alsace, 

Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, Sicily Ground, Southern France and Tunisia).

BOARD VOTE:  

___amc__  ___esc__  _cjp____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AC98-07135/AR1999021398	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	19990429	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1. 110.00		
2.  107.000		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.