PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            15 August 2000                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:    AR2000034968

	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. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Mr. W. E. Schnupp		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Thomas D. Howard, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. Arthur A. Omartian		Member	
	Ms. Gail J. Wire		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 that he be awarded the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany). 

3.  The applicant states that he was in Northern Italy with the 91st Infantry Division from May 1945 to July 1945.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted on 17 February 1943 and served in the European Theater of Operations from July 1944 to September 1945 with the 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division.  He was honorably discharged at demobilization on 6 January 1946 in the grade of private first class.

5.  The awards reflected on his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation (WD AGO Form 53-55) include the Combat Infantryman Badge, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides, in pertinent part, that the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) was awarded for service for              30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty while assigned to the Army of Occupation of Germany (exclusive of Berlin) between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955.  Service between 9 May and 8 November 1945 would be counted only if the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.

7.  Subsequent to the cessation of hostilities during World War II, the regulation governing the award of the Bronze Star Medal was changed, in part, to provide for the award of this decoration to those individuals who had been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945.

8.  The Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register, DA Pamphlet 672-1, lists units that have been awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Based on the fact that the applicant was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge during World War II, he is also entitled to the Bronze Star Medal in accordance with the revised criteria for that award noted above.

2.  Considering the period of his service in the European Theater of Operations he is also entitled to the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), and DA Pamphlet 672-1 shows that his unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, thus making him eligible for that award as well.
3.  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 by:

	a.  showing that the individual concerned was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and the Meritorious Unit Commendation;

	b.  issuing a correction to his WD AGO Form 53-55 reflecting the above awards; and 

	c.  issuing the above mentioned awards to him.

BOARD VOTE:  

___tdh __  __aao __  ___gjw __  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__________Thomas D. Howard, Jr.__
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000034968	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000815	
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.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.