PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:           29 March 2001                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000049936

	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 N. Slone		Chairperson	
	Mr. Christopher J. Prosser		Member	
	Mr. Lester Echols		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 be awarded the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) and the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM).

3.  The applicant states that he served as an advisor in Vietnam in 1961 and 1962.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted in the Regular Army for 3 years on 3 November 1958.  He was trained as an infantryman and served 2 years and 2 days in an overseas assignment with the 21st Infantry, Army Post Office (APO) 25, (APO 25 was the overseas postal address for the US Army Hawaii) from March 1959 to March 1961.  He was honorably separated from active duty to the US Army Reserve to complete his military service obligation on 23 February 1962 in the grade of private (E-2).  The record does not reflect that he received any awards.

5.  The applicant was separated from active duty with temporary records because his Official Military Personnel File had been lost.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards, provides that the NDSM is awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1954, 1 January 1961 and 14 August 1974 and 2 August 1990 to 30 November 1995.

7.  The same regulation provides that the Vietnam Service Medal may be awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States serving in Vietnam and contiguous waters or airspace thereover, after 3 July 1965 through 28 March 1973.

8.  The awards regulation also provides for the award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) for US military operations, US operations in direct support of the United Nations, and US operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations.  It was awarded to service members who served in assistance operations to Vietnam from 1 July 1958 to 3 July 1965.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant’s record shows that he served on active duty from 1958 to 1962, a period that made him eligible for the NDSM.  Therefore, it would be appropriate to reflect this award in his records and on his DD Form 214, (Report of Transfer or Discharge). 

2.  The period of his service was, however, before the VSM was authorized.  Thus, he is not entitled to the VSM.

3.  Furthermore, the available records do not show that while he was assigned to the 21st Infantry, he was involved in operations or assistance efforts in support of Vietnam.  In the absent of such evidence, there is no basis to award him the AFEM.

4.  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 be corrected by showing that the individual concerned was awarded the NDSM.

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

BOARD VOTE:  

____jns _  ____cjp _  ___le ___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__________John N. Slone_______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000049936	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20010329	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  107.00		
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.