PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           28 September 2000                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000044103

	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. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. Ernest M. Willcher		Member	
	Mr. Donald P. Hupman, Jr.		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 the Anzio and Ardennes-Alsace campaigns and the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal be added to his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55.  He also requests that his organization be corrected on his WD AGO Form 53-55.

3.  The applicant states that he was a member of Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division from Fort Devens, MA to Dachau to Innsbruck, Austria.  He joined the 411th Regiment, 103d Division for his discharge.  

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            14 February 1942.  He was appointed to the temporary rank of corporal on        23 July 1942 by the 180th Infantry.  He departed the continental United States on 8 June 1943 and arrived in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) on 22 June 1943.  He departed the MTO on 12 September 1944 and arrived in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) on 15 September 1944.  He departed the ETO on 10 September 1945, arrived stateside on 18 September 1945, and separated on 27 September 1945.  His WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that his organization was Headquarters Company, 411th Infantry and that he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with one arrowhead (awarded for amphibious assault participation), the Army Good Conduct Medal, and the Purple Heart.  The campaigns listed are Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Rhineland, Sicily, Southern France, and Rome-Arno.

6.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 shows that the 411th Infantry Regiment was given campaign credit for Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe and Rhineland and had no assault credit.  It shows that the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division had campaign credit for the six campaigns for which the applicant was credited plus Anzio and Ardennes-Alsace.  It also shows the 180th received assault credit for Southern France and occupation credit for Germany.

7.  On 15 November 1945, the applicant was awarded disability compensation for “post-traumatic scar, left ankle, G.S.W., lumbo-sacral injury.”

8.  An Authorization for Issuance of Awards, DA Form 1577, dated 10 May 1989
shows the applicant was to be issued the Bronze Star Medal based upon his award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and the oak leaf cluster to be worn on his Purple Heart.

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards.  It states the American Campaign Medal is awarded to all members of the armed forces who, between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946, served on land within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of one year.  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.  

10.  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 the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division and was only assigned to the 411th Infantry for movement stateside and demobilization.  

2.  Based upon the Board’s conclusion that the applicant was assigned to the 180th Infantry Regiment, it would be appropriate to show he was credited for participating in the Anzio and Ardennes-Alsace campaigns.

3.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant meets the criteria for award of the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany).  The evidence of record shows that his WD AGO Form 53-55 should also be corrected to add the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster.

4.  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 be corrected by:

     a.  amending item 6 to read Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division;

     b.  amending item 32 to add the Anzio and Ardennes-Alsace campaigns; and
     c.  amending item 33 to add the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster.

2.  That the applicant’s Honorable Discharge Certificate be corrected to show his unit as Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion, 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division.

BOARD VOTE:  

__rvo___  __emw___  __dph___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000044103	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20000928	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	100.00	
2.	107.0063	
3.	100.0060	
4.	107.0066	
5.		
6.