PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           16 October 2001                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001060062

	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	
	Mrs. Nancy Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Ms. Regan K. Smith		Member	
	Mr. Donald P. Hupman, Jr.		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 Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55, item 40 be corrected to show his separation year as 1945 and that the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, and the World War II Victory Medal be added to item 33.

3.  The applicant makes no additional statement.  He provides his WD AGO Form 53-55 and Separation Qualification Record, WD AGO Form 100, as supporting evidence.

4.  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.

5.  The applicant was inducted into the Army on 17 February 1943 and entered active service on 24 February 1943.  He departed the continental United States on 17 December 1943 and arrived in the Asiatic Pacific Theater of Operations on 5 February 1944.  He departed the Asiatic Pacific Theater of Operations on       26 November 1945.  His WD AGO Form 53-55, item 7 shows he was separated on 19 December 1945.  Item 32 shows he was given campaign credit for the New Guinea and Southern Philippines campaigns.  Item 33 shows he was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon with one star.  Item 37 shows he served 10 months and 7 days of continental service.  Item 40 shows he was separated for the convenience of the Government (demobilization) under the provisions of Army Regulation 615-365, version dated 15 December 1944.  His WD AGO Form 53-55, item 6 and his   WD AGO Form 100 show he served with the 2079th Quartermaster Truck Company.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards.  It states that the American Campaign Medal was awarded for service within the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946 under certain conditions to include within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of 1 year or on permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States.  The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for service with the Asiatic-Pacific Theater between              7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946.  The World War II Victory Medal was awarded for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946.  The Army of Occupation Medal of Japan was awarded for service for 30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty between 3 September 1945 and 27 April 1952 on the four main islands of Japan and the surrounding smaller islands of the Japanese homeland, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Bonin-volcano Islands.

7.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 shows that the 2079th Quartermaster Truck Company received credit for three campaigns – Leyte (17 October 1944 through 1 July 1945), Luzon (15 December 1944 through 4 July 1945), and New Guinea (24 January 1943 through 31 December 1944).  The unit was also awarded the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation (17 October 1944 to   4 July 1945) and was given occupation credit for Japan (5 October 1945 through
5 March 1946).

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant met the eligibility criteria for award of the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.  His unit did receive credit for three campaigns; however, the Southern Philippines (27 February through 4 July 1945) was not one of them.  The applicant has not requested that the Southern Philippines campaign be deleted from item 32 of his WD AGO Form 53-55 and that the proper three for which his unit was actually credited be entered.  The Board therefore considers the best solution would be to add the Leyte campaign (since the dates of the Luzon campaign most closely approximates those of the Southern Philippines campaign) and then show he was awarded three bronze service stars with the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.  

2.  The applicant’s unit was given occupation credit for Japan for a period of time (more than 30 days) during which the applicant was assigned to the unit, so he is entitled to award of the Army of Occupation Medal of Japan.  His unit was awarded the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation for a period of time he was assigned to the unit, entitling him to this award, also.

3.  The applicant met the eligibility criteria for award of the World War II Victory Medal.

4.  The available evidence of record shows that the applicant did not meet the eligibility criteria for award of the American Campaign Medal.  There is no evidence to show he served on permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States (e.g., Alaska or Puerto Rico).  His WD AGO Form    53-55 shows he served 10 months and 7 days within the continental limits of the United States whereas an aggregate period of 1 year’s service is required for award of this medal.

5.  There is no error in item 40 of his WD AGO Form 53-55.  Item 7 shows his date of separation – 19 December 1945.  The date listed in item 40 is the effective date of Army Regulation 615-365, the authority under which he separated.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55, item 32 be amended to add the Leyte campaign and item 33 be amended to add the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal of Japan, and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation.

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

BOARD VOTE:  

__rvo___  __rks___  __dph___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001060062	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20011016	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	100.00	
2.	107.0066	
3.	107.0064	
4.	107.0063	
5.		
6.