PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:            25 January 2001
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000047557

	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. William Blakely		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. June Hajjar		Chairperson	
	Mr. Lester Echols		Member	
	Ms. Karen A. Heinz		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 he receive recognition for his service in North Africa.  He also requests that item 24 (Date of Entry Into Active Service) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Report and Report of Separation) be corrected to read 11 April 1942.

3.  The applicant states that his separation document does not show his time served in North Africa.  He states that his date of entry into active service listed on his WD AGO Form 53-55 is incorrect. 

4.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed on the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  The information herein was gleaned from the applicant’s separation document. 

5.  The applicant was inducted into the Army on 11 April 1942 and was trained as a tank gunner.  He was assigned to Company A, 82nd Calvary Reconnaissance Battalion Mechanize and served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations (EAMETO) from 24 December 1942 to 1 October 1945.  He was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Purple Heart, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Distinguished Unit Badge.  He attained the rank of private first class and was honorably released from active duty on 25 January 1946.

6.  Item 24 (Date of Entry Into Active Service) of the applicant’s separation document shows his date of entry into active service as 11 April 1944.

7.  Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) of the applicant’s separation document does not show the applicant participated in a campaign or battle in North Africa.

8.  On 10 October 1982 DA Form 1577 (Authorization for Issuance of Awards) reissued the applicant the Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Badge, the World War II Victory Medal and issued the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with a Silver Service Star.

9.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 establishes the eligibility of individual members for campaign participation credit, assault landing credit, unit citation emblems, and occupation duty credit for World War II and the Korean War.  The Department pamphlet lists the applicant’s unit as having participated in the Algeria-French Moroco campaign for the period 8 November to 11 November 1942.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.   It is reasonable to presume that date of entry into active service 11 April 1944 listed on his separation document is incorrect.  The Boards notes that the applicant served overseas in the EAMETO from 24 December 1942 to 
10 October 1945.  Therefore, item 24 (Date of Entry Into Active Service) of his separation document should be corrected to read 11 April 1942, the same date of his induction.

2.  The Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 shows that the applicant’s unit participated in the Algeria-French Moroco campaign for the period 8 November to 11 November 1942.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant entered the EAMTO on 24 December 1942.  Therefore, he is not entitled to correction of his records to show he participated in the Algeria-French Moroco campaign.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case, particularly the WD AGO Form 53-55 of the individual concerned, be corrected by showing that in item 24 (Date of Entry Into Active) as 11 April 1942. 

2.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.

BOARD VOTE:  

___JH___  ___LE___  __KAH__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		____June Hajjar   ______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000047557	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20010125	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(PARTIAL RELIEF)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	110.	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.