MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:         

	BOARD DATE:           16 March 2000                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999029020

	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. 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 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:  Award of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM).  

APPLICANT STATES:  That he served in Thailand with the 561st Engineer Company from 31 March 1968 to 4 January 1969, and that the Army regulation provides for award of the VSM to personnel who served in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia after 3 July 1965 to 28 March 1973.  His DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) originally reflected that award, but the notation was crossed out by a clerk while he was assigned to the medical holding detachment at Dewitt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant's military records show:

The applicant entered on active duty on 17 June 1966, completed training and was assigned to an engineer battalion in Germany.  In April 1968 he was assigned to the 561st Engineer Company (Construction) in Thailand as a plumber.  He returned to the United States in a patient status in January 1969, and was released from active duty on 17 March 1969.  He had 2 years,               9 months, and 9 days of service. The applicant’s DA Form 20 does show an entry for the award of the VSM and also of the Vietnam Campaign Medal (VCM). Both entries, however, were lined through.

Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides for the award of the Vietnam Service Medal and states in pertinent part that the VSM is awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States serving in Vietnam after 3 July 1965 through            28 March 1973.  Members of the Armed Forces in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia, during the same period and serving in direct support of operations in Vietnam are also eligible for the award.  To qualify for the award an individual must be attached to or regularly serve for one or more days with an organization participating in or directly supporting military operations.

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.  There is no evidence nor has the applicant provided any, that the unit to which he was assigned, participated in or directly supported military operations in Vietnam.  He is not entitled to award of the Vietnam Service Medal.

2.  The applicant has submitted neither probative evidence nor a convincing argument in support of his request.   

3.  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.
4.  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

___jlp___  ___cjp___  ___owt__  DENY APPLICATION

						Karl F. Schneider
						Director, Army Review Boards Agency

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999029020	
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	DENY	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  119	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.