PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:           1 March 2001                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000046634

	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. John H. Kern		Chairperson	
	Mr. Curtis L. Greenway		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 service record be corrected to reflect all of the awards he has earned.

3.  The applicant states that he participated in the battle for Guadacanal, Bougainville, Leyte, the invasion of Cebu Island and the Philippines Islands.  He contends that he earned 4 Bronze Battle Stars and 1 arrowhead device for the invasion.

4.  In support of his request, he has provided a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation.

5.  The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted on 9 October 1941 and served as a radio operator with the 26th Signal Company in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations from January 1942 to August 1945.  He was honorably separated at demobilization on 9 September 1945 in the grade of technician 4th grade.

6.  Awards listed on his WD AGO Form 53-55 include the American Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippines Liberation Ribbon, the Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar and the World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button.  On 15 April 2000, at his request, all of the foregoing awards plus the World War II Victory Medal were issued to him.

7.  The record shows that he is currently credited with 2 Bronze Service Stars (representing two campaigns – Guadacanal and the Northern Solomons) on his Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.

8.  The applicant’s Service Record shows that he was awarded campaign credit for participating in the battles of Guadacanal, Leyte, the Northern Solomons and the Southern Philippines.  Additionally, the unit to which he was assigned at the time was awarded assault-landing credit for the invasion of Cebu Island on 26 March 1945.

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides in pertinent part that the arrowhead device is a bronze replica of an Indian arrowhead and denotes participation in a combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing, while assigned or attached as a member of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission.

10.  The same regulation provides that service stars are worn on campaign and service ribbons to denote an additional award.

11.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1, Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register, lists World War II units that have been awarded campaign and assault landing credit, occupation credit, and unit and foreign awards.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of records shows that the applicant participated in and is entitled to campaign credit for Guadacanal, Leyte, Northern Solomons and the Southern Philippines and assault landing credit for the invasion of Cebu Island.  There is no authorized campaign for Bougainville.

2.  The unit campaign register shows that the applicant’s unit at the time he was a member, the 26th Signal Company, is authorized the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

3.  In summary, the applicant is as he says entitled to 4 Bronze Service Stars (instead of the 2 that he currently has) on his Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and an arrowhead device as well as the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

4.  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 Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars and arrowhead device and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; and

	b.  issuing a correction to his WD AGO Form 53-55 reflecting the all of the awards to which he is entitled.

BOARD VOTE:  

__jhk____  ___clg __  ___rtd __  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_________John H. Kern_______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000046634	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20010301	
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.