PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:              19 April 2000                
	DOCKET NUMBER:     AR1999028879

	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. W. E. Schnupp		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. James P. Huber		Chairperson	
	Mr. Elzey J. Arledge, Jr.		Member	
	Mr. Van B. Cunningham		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 corrections to his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge.

3.  The applicant states that the WD AGO Form 53-55 does not reflect the correct unit he was assigned to prior to his discharge, does not include all of his military awards, does not reflect all of the battles and campaigns in which he participated and does not include all of the military service schools he attended.

4.  In support of his request, he has provided a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 and a personal letter setting forth the correction that he contends are necessary to make his military record complete.

5.  The applicant’s military records were severely damaged in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center.  Those records that survived the fire and water damage are only partially discernible.

6.  The applicant was inducted on 22 October 1942 after having served in the Enlisted Reserve Corps.  He was trained as a vehicle driver and served in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operations.  He was honorably discharged at demobilization on 8 October 1945 in the grade of private first class.

7.  Awards listed on his WD AGO Form 53-55 include the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with bronze arrowhead.  In January 1986, at the applicant’s request, an administrative determination was made by the Army Reserve Personnel Command that he was also entitled to a bronze and a silver service star to the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany).  

8.  The WD AGO Form 53-55 also shows that he participated in the following campaigns: Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, and Sicily. 

9.  His service record shows that he was assigned to the Company D, 531st Amphibious Engineer Battalion and that in addition to the battles and campaign data on the WD AGO Form 53-55 he was also awarded participation credit for the Tunisian Campaign in North Africa.

10.  The available service records provide no information showing that he attended any service schools.

11.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides in pertinent part, that the American Campaign Medal is awarded for service in the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Evidence in the applicant’s service record support the fact that he was assigned to Company D, 531st Amphibious Engineer Battalion.  It would therefore be appropriate to show that organization on his WD AGO Form 53-55.

2.  Likewise, his service record supports adding Tunisia in item 32 (battles and campaigns) to the campaigns of Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, and Sicily already listed, and adding the following additional awards to item 33 (decorations and citations): the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with bronze arrowhead and one silver and three bronze service stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and the American Campaign Medal.

3.  Unfortunately, the available records contain no evidence and the applicant has provided no evidence to substantiate the service schools he attended, therefore no correction to item 41 (service schools attended) of the WD AGO Form 53-55 is possible.

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: 

	a.  showing that the individual concerned was assigned to Company D, 531st Amphibious Engineer Battalion in the remarks section of his WD AGO Form 53-55;

	b.  showing that he participated in the following battles and campaigns: Tunisia, Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, and Sicily;

c.  showing that he was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with bronze arrowhead and one silver and three bronze service 

stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and the American Campaign Medal; and

	d.  issuing a correction to his WD AGO Form 53-55 reflecting all of the foregoing information.

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

BOARD VOTE:  

__jph ___  __eja     _  ___vbc __  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__________James P. Huber_________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999028879	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000419	
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.  107.00		
2.   110.04		
3.   		
4.		
5.		
6.