MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:   

	BOARD DATE:           24 July 2001                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001057949

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the record of consideration 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. John N. Slone		Chairperson	
	Ms. Margaret V. Thompson		Member	
	Mr. William D. Powers		Member	

	The Board, established pursuant to authority contained in 10 U.S.C. 1552, convened at the call of the Chairperson on the above date.  In accordance with Army Regulation 15-185, the application and the available military records pertinent to the corrective action requested were reviewed to determine whether to authorize a formal hearing, recommend that the records be corrected without a formal hearing, or to deny the application without a formal hearing if it is determined that insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice.

	The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

APPLICANT REQUESTS:  In effect, that he be awarded the Purple Heart, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (then known as a Theater Ribbon) with one campaign star, the American Campaign Medal (then known as a Theater Ribbon), the World War II Victory Medal, the Combat Medical Badge, and the     .30 Caliber Rifle and Grenade Expert Badges.  He requests that his Report of Separation, WD AGO For 53-55, be corrected to add Consolidated Combat Medical Training and Surgical Technician Training.  It appears he also requests correction of his first Honorable Discharge Certificate to show he was discharged from the 204th Hospital Ship Complement, U. S. S. Mercy.

APPLICANT STATES:  That he was assigned to the U. S. S. Acadia which left San Pedro, CA on or about 24 July 1945 for Okinawa and Manila. When they were at Manila he knew that they were standing by to make an invasion after Hiroshima was bombed.  His upper left arm was cut open by an enemy holdout while he was preparing three patients for boarding the U. S. S. Acadia.  He was treated on the ship.  The U. S. S. Acadia then returned to Long Beach, CA on or about 27 October 1945.  He was then assigned to the U. S. S. Mercy which left Terminal Island, CA on 4 February 1946 for Pearl Harbor and returned to Fort Mason on or about 10 April 1946.  He was discharged from the U. S. S. Mercy at Fort Mason on 13 May 1946 and reenlisted to fill a vacancy on the U. S. S. Comfort on 14 May 1946.  

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  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.

The applicant was inducted into the Army and entered active service on 19 June 1945.  He was discharged on 13 May 1946 for the purpose of immediately reenlisting on 14 May 1946.  His WD AGO Form 53-55 for the period ending      13 May 1946 shows that he attended Surgical Technician School.  He spent        8 months and 19 days in continental service and 2 months and 5 days of foreign service.  It shows he departed for overseas (Pearl Harbor) on 3 February 1946.  It shows he was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign Medal.  It shows he was given no battle or campaign credit.  It shows his organization as the 205th Hospital Ship Complement and his place of separation as Fort Mason, CA.  His Honorable Discharge Certificate shows his organization as the 205th Hospital Ship Complement U. S. Army Hospital Ship Comfort.

The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 for the period ending 13 June 1947 shows that he was awarded the .30 Caliber Rifle Expert Badge.

Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides policy and criteria concerning individual military decorations.  In pertinent part, it states that the Purple Heart is awarded to any member of an Armed Force who has been wounded or killed in any action against an enemy of the United States.  The wound must have required treatment by a medical officer and records of medical treatment for wounds or injuries received in action must have been made a matter of official record.  The Combat Medical Badge can be awarded to Medical Department personnel assigned or attached to infantry units of brigade or smaller size who satisfactorily perform medical duties while the unit is engaged in actual ground combat, provided they are personally present and under fire.  The award was established to recognize medical aidmen who shared the same hazards and hardships of ground combat on a daily basis with the infantry soldier.  Table B-1 shows        that the last World War II campaign was the China Offensive campaign from       5 May through 2 September 1945.  The Ryukyus (Okinawa) campaign was     from 26 March through 2 July 1945; the Southern Philippines Campaign from     27 February through 4 July 1945; the Luzon campaign from 15 December 1944 through 4 July 1945; and the Leyte campaign from 17 October 1944 through       1 July 1945.  One bronze service star is worn on the appropriate campaign ribbon to denote each campaign credit.

DISCUSSION:  Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:

1.  Except for the applicant’s self-authored statement, there is no evidence of record and he provides none to show he arrived in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations earlier than 6 February 1946.  As such, he arrived after the end of World War II and so does not meet the eligibility criteria for battle or campaign credit or for award of the Purple Heart.

2.  The applicant was not assigned or attached to an infantry unit and so does not meet the eligibility criteria for award of the Combat Medical Badge.

3.  Both of the applicant’s WD AGO Forms 53-55 show he was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.  His WD AGO Form 53-55 for the period ending     13 May 1946 already shows he completed the Surgical Technician School.  It would not be listed on his second WD AGO Form 53-55 since he did not complete it during the period covered by that document.  It appears he earned the .30 Caliber Rifle Expert Badge during his second period of service since that badge appears on his second WD AGO Form 53-55.  He provides no evidence to show that he was awarded it during his first period of service or that he was awarded the Grenade Expert Badge at all.  He provides no evidence to show he completed Consolidated Combat Medical Training.  

4.  Other than providing an extract concerning a history of the U. S. Army Hospital Ship Acadia, the applicant provides no evidence to show that he was not assigned to the 205th Hospital Ship Complement, U. S. Army Hospital Ship Comfort at the time of his first separation.

5.  In view of the foregoing, there is no basis for granting the applicant's request.

DETERMINATION:  The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

__jns___  __mvt___  __wdp___  DENY APPLICATION

		    Carl W. S. Chun
		    Director, Army Board for Correction
    of Military Records

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001057949	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20010724	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(DENY)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	100.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.