PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:           16 March 2000                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR19990281171

	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. Kenneth H. Aucock		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Jennifer L. Prater 		Chairperson	
	Mr. Orville W. Troesch, Jr.		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 award of the Army Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.  He also requests that the incorrect mailing address on his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Honorable Discharge) be corrected.  NOTE:  The address was corrected per a 7 April 1998 DD Form 215 (Correction to               DD Form 214).

3.  The applicant made no other statement. 

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

5.  The applicant entered on active duty on 28 September 1942.  On                  18 October 1943 he arrived in the European Theater of Operations.  His          WD AGO Form 53-55 (Honorable Discharge) shows that he was wounded in action on 3 August 1944, and that he was awarded the Purple Heart.  That form also shows that his organization was Company L, 112th Infantry Regiment, and that he was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and participated in the Normandy campaign.  His arm was infantry and he was an automatic rifleman.  He returned to the United States arriving on                    15 January 1945.  He was discharged on 8 April 1945 because of his disability.  
 
6.  On 13 March 1967 the applicant was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement in ground operations against the enemy in the European Theater of Operations, Normandy campaign.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides that the Good Conduct Medal is awarded to individuals who distinguish themselves by their conduct, efficiency and fidelity
during a qualifying period of active duty enlisted service.  For first award only, the period of service is one year served entirely during the period 7 December 1941 to 2 March 1946.

8.  The aforementioned regulation states that the World War II Victory Medal was established on 6 July 1945 and is awarded for service between                            7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946.

9.  The aforementioned regulation also provides, in pertinent part, that the Combat Infantryman Badge is awarded to infantry officers and to enlisted and warrant officer persons who have an infantry MOS.  They must have served in active ground combat while assigned or attached to an infantry unit of brigade, regimental or smaller size.   

10.  That regulation also provides for award of the Bronze Star Medal to each member of the Armed Forces who after 6 December 1941 has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945.  An award of the Combat Infantryman Badge is considered as a citation in orders.

11.  The dates of the Normandy campaign in Europe during World War II are       6 June to 24 July 1944.  The campaign for Northern France began on                 25 July 1944 and ended on 14 September 1944.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant served his country honorably and faithfully during a time of conflict.  He is entitled to award of the Army Good Conduct Medal.  He is also entitled to award of the World War II Victory Medal.  Both those medals should be reflected on his discharge document.

2.  The applicant was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart.  He served as an automatic rifleman (infantryman) in combat with an infantry company.  He is entitled to award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.  His award of the Bronze Star Medal in 1967 is apparently based on his entitlement to the Combat Infantryman Badge.  Both those awards should be reflected on his discharge document.

3.  The applicant was wounded in action on 3 August 1944 during the campaign for Northern France.  Consequently, his record should reflect award of the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with two bronze service stars (one for Normandy and one for Northern France).

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

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the applicant was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with two bronze service stars.  

2.  Those awards and the award of the Bronze Star Medal should be reflected on his discharge document.

BOARD VOTE:  

___owt__  ___cjp___  ___jlp___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999028171	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000316	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT PLUS	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  46	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.