PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            6 November 2001                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001057923

	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:

	Ms. Deborah S. Jacobs		Chairperson	
	Mr. Elzey J. Arledge, Jr.		Member	
	Mr. Donald P. Hupman		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 military occupational specialty (MOS) be changed from 3844 to 3705.

3.  The applicant states that when he entered the service, he was given the MOS 3844, however, when he was shipped to Korea, he was made an artillery forward observer, MOS 3705.  Since that was his last MOS code, he believes that it should be the one listed on his discharge.

4.  In support of his request, he submits a copy of his DD Form 214, Report of Separation, and letters from two former officers who were with him during his assignment in Korea in 1952, pointing out that he was a forward observer during his assignment.

5.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center.  Information herein was derived from the document submitted by the applicant and from other sources.

6.  The applicant was called to active from the Minnesota Army National Guard (ARNG) on 16 January 1951.  His DD Form 214 shows in item 5 (qualification specialty number or symbol) 3844.  His branch is listed as artillery.  He was assigned to C Battery, 49th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division in Korea and was honorably released back to the ARNG on 23 September 1952.

7.  His awards include the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with 2 bronze service stars, the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal (BSM) with “V” device.  

8.  Information obtained from the National Archives, by a member of the Army Review Boards Agency staff, shows that the general orders issued by the 7th Infantry Division on 26 May 1952, awarding the applicant the BSM with “V” device refers to him as a member of the “Forward Observer Section“ of C Battery, 49th Field Artillery Battalion.

9.  The list of MOS’s for the Korean War Era shows that MOS 3844 was designated as a cannoneer, and MOS 3705 as an artillery forward observer.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant was an artilleryman by branch, and the information contained in his BSM with “V” device citation strongly suggest that he was, in fact, an artillery forward observer, MOS 3705, which is consistent with the statements from the two officer with whom he served in Korea.  Therefore, it would be appropriate to show his qualification specialty as 3705.

2.  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 showing that the specialty number (item 5) on the DD Form 214 of the individual concerned is 3705.

BOARD VOTE:  

________  ________  ________  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_________Deborah S. Jacobs____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001057923	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20011106	
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.  100.05		
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.