PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:            26 September 2000                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000043907

	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	
	Ms. Wanda L. Waller		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Arthur A. Omartian		Chairperson	
	Mr. Melvin H. Meyer		Member	
	Mr. Thomas F. Baxter		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 his discharge document be corrected to show his period of internment as a prisoner of war in Germany during World War II.

3.  The applicant states that he was a prisoner of war from 9 June 1944 to 
28 March 1945 in Germany during World War II.  He contends that he needs his discharge document corrected as proof of his prisoner of war status.   

4.  The applicant’s military records were destroyed or lost during the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and show that the applicant was inducted on
7 January 1943.  He served as a military policeman in the European Theater of Operations from 2 June 1943 through 21 April 1945 and was honorably discharged on 15 November 1945. 

5.  The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) does not show any dates of internment as a prisoner of war. 

6.  The available records contain a letter, dated 3 November 1989, from the U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, which states that “Examination of reconstructed military records and medical records received from the VARO [Veterans Affairs Regional Office] show that he was a POW [prisoner of war] from 8 June 44 to 1 April 45.”  Records also show the applicant’s unit of assignment was the 104th Medical Battalion, 29th Division.    

7.  DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards), dated 27 June 1988, shows that the Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, determined that the applicant was entitled to the Prisoner of War Medal.  This award is not shown on his discharge document.  

8.  Army Regulation 635-5 establishes the standardized policy for preparing and distributing discharge documents.  In pertinent part, it directs that, in the case of prisoners of war, the unit of assignment, country and dates of capture and release will be entered in the “Remarks” section of the discharge document.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Although the applicant contends that he was a prisoner of war from 9 June 1944 to 28 March 1945, evidence of record shows that he was a prisoner of war from 8 June 1944 to 1 April 1945.  Therefore, he is entitled to correction of item 55 (Remarks) on his discharge document to show this period of internment. 

2.  The applicant was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his discharge document to show this award.

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:

a.  by showing the entry “Prisoner of War, 104th Medical Battalion, Germany, 440608-450401” in item 55 (Remarks) on the WD AGO Form 53-55 of the individual concerned; and

	b.  by showing that he was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

AAO___  MHM_____  TFB____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Arthur A. Omartian____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000043907	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20000926	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19451115	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-365  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0029	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.