PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:  19 April 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000037627

	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. Paul A. Petty .		                       Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. James P. Huber		Chairperson	
	Mr. Van B. Cunningham		Member	
	Mr. Elzey J. Arledge		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, widow of the deceased former service member (FSM), requests, in effect, that the FSM’s Enlisted Record and Report of Separation from World War II show his combat unit of assignment, his infantry military occupational specialty (MOS), his arm of service as Infantry, his highest rank held, that he be awarded any military awards for which he is authorized but has not received; and that he receive a separation certificate for the same period showing his highest rank held and his combat unit of assignment.

3.  The applicant provides copies of the FSM’s following documents:
WD AGO Form 53, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge, for the period 23 January 1946 to 1 March 1949; DD Form 214, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, for the period 2 March 1949 to 
16 January 1954, and certificate of honorable discharge for the same period; cemetery and funeral home receipts relative to the burial of the FSM on or about 16 July 1984; and the marriage license of the FSM and his widow dated 22 May 1967.

4.  The FSM’s military records are not available and are presumed destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Archives that occurred in 1973.  The record copies supplied by the applicant (as above) show that the FSM initially served in the Army from 31 October 1942 to 22 January 1946.  During this period he was assigned in Germany as he reenlisted there on 23 January 1946.  He did not return to the U.S. until 17 April 1947 arriving 1 May 1947.  He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) during his first period of enlistment as it is listed on his second discharge during which time there were no combat situations, so the CIB must have been from his first enlistment.  Pay records from his first enlistement show that he was authorized foreign service pay from 
10 December 1944.  It is assumed that this is the date he was assigned in the European Theater of Operations.  He was authorized combat infantry pay from 
1 March 1945 to 22 January 1946 which means he was in combat with the infantry during that time.  It would have been during this time that he would have been awarded the CIB.  He was promoted from Private (Pvt) to Sergeant (Sgt) 
on 23 February 1945 and promoted to Technical Sergeant (T/Sgt) on 23 April 1945.  Unit morning reports show that he was assigned as a Pvt to the 
6th Reinforcement Depot where African-American soldiers who volunteered for infantry combat duty were trained for combat.  There is no record showing what infantry unit he was assigned to on or about 1 March 1945.

5.  The FSM is one of 2221 African-American Volunteers who volunteered for infantry duty in early 1945 in response to a 26 December 1944 call from Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, for such volunteers to replace infantry losses experienced during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII.  One condition of volunteering for African-American soldiers was administrative reduction to Private (Pvt) or Private First Class (Pfc).  He was promoted 
from Pvt to Sergeant on 23 February 1945.  He was honorably discharged on 
22 January 1946 and reenlisted in Germany on 23 January 1946.  He returned to the U. S. on 14 April 1947 arriving 1 May 1947.  He was honorably discharged at Fort Bragg on 1 March 1949 as a Sgt 1/c (Sergeant First Class).  He immediately reenlisted on 2 March 1949 for a third tour.  During this tour, he fought in Korea in the infantry and was awarded a second CIB.  He resigned and was honorably discharged on 16 January 1954 as a Sergeant First Class (permanent).  His available discharges do not show that he was awarded the American Theater Campaign Medal or the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.  
He was awarded two CIBs (one in Germany and one in Korea), the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp, the World War II Victory Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 1 bonze service star, the United Nations Service Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal with Japan clasp, and the National Defense Service Medal.  The FSM served a total of 12 years, 9 months, and 
2 days with 1 year, 7 months, and 5 days in Korea and Japan and 2 years,
4 months, and 8 days in Europe.

6.  According to Army Regulation 600-8-2, Military Awards, paragraph 3-13, a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Combat Medical Badge (CMB), or other certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy, is eligible for award of the Bronze Star Medal (BSM).

7.  The American Theater Campaign Medal is authorized by Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, for any soldier who served in the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946 within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of 1 year.  Prior to deployment to the European Theater of Operations, the records indicate that the FSM served in the continental United States from 31 October 1942 to 9 December 1944.

8.  The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is authorized by Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, for any soldier who served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operation from 7 December 1941 to 8 November 1945.
 
9.  The Good Conduct Medal is awarded to soldiers who distinguish themselves from among their fellow soldiers by their exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity according to Army Regulation 600-8-2, Military Awards, Chapter 4, Section I.  The qualifying periods of service include: 3 years completed on or after 27 August 1940, and for the first award only, 1 year served entirely during the period 7 December 1941 to 2 March 1946.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  From information in available records, the FSM is authorized the following additional awards: the Bronze Star Medal, the American Theater Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

2.  Since there is no record to show the FSM’s combat unit of assignment, his infantry MOS, or his arm of service, and since there is no WD AGO Form 
53-55 or Discharge Certificate from the FSM’s first enlistment, no action can be taken on these corrections.

3.  From finance records of the FSM’s first enlistment, it appears that his rank was restored to Sergeant and then promoted to Technical Sergeant after he was reduced to Private as a result of volunteering for combat infantry duty.  As such, no correction is required concerning his rank restoration.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected for the individual concerned by showing on his DD Form 214 for the period ending 16 January 1954, the following additional awards and providing him with the medals: the Bronze Star Medal, the American Theater Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

_JH___  ___VC___  ___EA___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__James P. Huber_____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000037627	
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	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.107	Awards	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.