PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           3 October 2000                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000043946

	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	
	Mrs. Nancy Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. John N. Slone		Chairperson	
	Mr. Raymond J. Wagner		Member	
	Mr. Richard T. Dunbar		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 organization on his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55, and discharge papers be corrected.

3.  The applicant states that he was a member of Company B, 149th Combat Engineer Battalion his entire time during World War II.  The unit landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944.  He is very proud of this unit.  

4.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire in 1973.  The information contained herein was obtained from alternate sources.

5.  The applicant was inducted into the Army and entered active duty on            23 February 1943.  He arrived in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) on  8 January 1944.  He departed the ETO on 5 November 1945, arrived stateside on 13 November 1945, and separated on 19 November 1945.  His WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that his organization was Company B, 2829th Engineer Battalion and that his awards included the Distinguished Unit Badge.  The campaigns listed are Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe.

6.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 shows that the 149th Combat Engineer Battalion received campaign credit for Central Europe, Normandy, Northern France, and Rhineland; received assault credit for Normandy; received occupation credit for Germany; and was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for action on 6 June 1944.  It shows that the 2829th Combat Engineer Battalion received campaign credit for Central Europe and Rhineland and occupation credit for Germany.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards.  It states the World War II Victory Medal is authorized for members of the armed forces who served on active duty between                   7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946.  

8.  Technical Manual 12-235, which prescribed the policy and procedures for the preparation and distribution of separation documents during the period in question, stated that the last unit, or similar element to which the individual was assigned, rather than the element of which he was a part while moving to a separation activity, would be entered in item 6 (organization) of the WD AGO Form 53-55.  It also noted that assignments to units for the purpose of transfer from a theater to the United States was considered part of the movement to a separation activity.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board concludes that there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to show that the applicant was assigned to Company B, 149th Combat Engineer Battalion and that he was most likely assigned to the 2829th Combat Engineer Battalion for movement stateside and demobilization.  

2.  The evidence of record also shows that the applicant met the criteria for award of the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and the World War II Victory Medal.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 and his Honorable Discharge Certificate be corrected to show his organization as Company B, 149th Combat Engineer Battalion.

2.  That the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 also be corrected to add the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany) and the World War II Victory Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

__jns___  __rjw___  __rtd___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

			John N. Slone
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000043946	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20001003	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	100.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.