MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:           15 February 2000 
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999028830

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

	Mr. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr.		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Fred Eichorn		Chairperson	
	Ms. Karol A. Kennedy		Member	
	Mr. Roger Able		Member	

	The Board, established pursuant to authority contained in 10 U.S.C. 1552, convened at the call of the Chairperson on the above date.  In accordance with Army Regulation 15-185, the application and the available military records pertinent to the corrective action requested were reviewed to determine whether to authorize a formal hearing, recommend that the records be corrected without a formal hearing, or to deny the application without a formal hearing if it is determined that insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice.

	The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

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

APPLICANT REQUESTS:  Correction of his discharge document to show verification of having participated in the 6 June 1944 assault on Omaha Beach.

APPLICANT STATES:  That he never received anything to show proof or evidence of this matter.  He states that his discharge document shows that he was in Normandy at the time, but does not say anything about participating in the Omaha Beach assault.  In support of his application, the applicant submitted an unidentified article with his picture and a short biographic description of the applicant’s service, a WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) with a separation date of 24 June 1945, an Honorable Discharge Certificate dated 12 March 1947, and a DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) with an effective date of 31 July 1959.

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and show he entered active duty on 17 October 1938.  He served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations from 23 June 1942 to 9 June 1945 as a light truck driver.  The applicant reenlisted on 24 June 1945 to serve in the Regular Army for three years.  He retired after 20 years of Active Federal Service.

The applicant’s WD AGO 53-55 with a date of separation of 24 June 1945 covers his service during World War II.  This document, which is signed in his own hand, does not show award of the bronze arrowhead device authorized for wear on the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal in recognition of participation in an assault landing.

Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) of the applicant’s WD AGO 53-55 shows that he participated in the Algeria-French Morocco, Normandy, Northern France, Sicily, Tunisia, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns.

The biographic sketch of the applicant’s service states in part:  “He participated in fighting for Algeria, French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Rhineland, Normandy, Northern France, and Central Europe.  He particularly remembers the Tunisia Campaign, Omaha Beach and Gela, Sicily.  He received seven battle stars and two arrowheads.”

Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1, Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register, dated 6 July 1961, shows, among other information, credit for assault landings authorized for units which served during World War II.  This document shows the unit to which the applicant was assigned, the Headquarters and Service Company of the 1st Engineer Battalion (Combat) of the 1st Infantry Division, received credit for assault landings at Oran, North Africa during 8-10 November 1942; Gela and Scoglitti during 9-11 July 1943; and Normandy 6-7 June 1944.

Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, for the “arrowhead” to be worn on the appropriate service medal to denote participation in a combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing while assigned or attached as a member of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission.  The regulation specifies that individual assault credit is tied directly to the combat assault credit decision for the unit to which the soldier is assigned.  The regulation requires that the unit must be credited with a combat assault in order for the soldiers to receive credit for a combat assault and the soldier must physically exit the aircraft or the watercraft as appropriate.  The regulation also specifies that the arrowhead is authorized for wear on the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

DISCUSSION:  Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:

1.  Based on regulation, the bronze arrowhead device provides recognition for a combat assault such as the assault at Normandy on 6 June 1944.  

2.  Evidence of record shows the applicant’s unit received assault credit for three combat assaults during World War II.  However, there is no evidence on the applicant’s WD AGO 53-55, which was authenticated by the applicant on 24 June 1945, that he was awarded the bronze arrowhead device for participation in any of these assaults and there is no evidence in the limited records available to the Board that he physically exited a watercraft during these assaults.

3.  The Board noted the article submitted by the applicant.  However, in the absence of any evidence from official records which shows that he participated in combat assaults during World War II, this article alone is not sufficient for award of any bronze arrowheads, particularly in view of the existing evidence of record which shows that he was not entitled to awards of the bronze arrowhead device.

4.  In order to justify correction of a military record the applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust.  The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy the aforementioned requirement.

5.  In view of the foregoing, there is no basis for granting the applicant's request.

DETERMINATION:  The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

FE______  KAK____  RA______  DENY APPLICATION

						Karl F. Schneider
						Director, Army Review Boards Agency

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999028830	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000215	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19450624	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-365	
DISCHARGE REASON	REENLISTMENT	
BOARD DECISION	DENY	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	MR SCHNEIDER	
ISSUES         1.	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.