MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:   

	BOARD DATE:           30 May 2002                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2002067224

	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. Carolyn G. Wade		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O'Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. John P. Infante		Member	
	Ms. Paula Mokulis		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 item 32 (Battles and Campaign) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge) be corrected to reflect that he participated in the Iwo Jima Campaign and not the Ryukyus Campaign.

APPLICANT STATES:  In effect, that he was at Iwo Jima during the campaign to secure the island for a United States Military Base.  He believes the separation center personnel mistakenly thought he was at Ie Shima, near Okinawa, where Ernie Pyle was killed, and listed Ryukyus as the battle zone where he served instead of Iwo Jima.  In support of his application, the applicant submitted a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 and his honorable discharge certificate.

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant's military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Information herein was obtained from the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55.

His WD AGO 53-55 shows he was inducted in the Army of the United States on 14 July 1943 and entered active duty on 4 August 1943.  Following completion of all military training, the applicant was awarded military occupational specialty (MOS) 348, Parts Clerk Automotive.

His WD AGO 53-55 shows that he departed the United States on 3 July 1944 and arrived in the APT (Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations) on 9 July 1944.  The date of his departure from the theater is not listed.

The applicant served in the Army of the United States from 4 August 1943 to 1 March 1946 when he was honorably discharged under the provisions of Army Regulation 615-365, by reason of demobilization-convenience of the government, after completing 2 years, 6 months, and 28 days of active military service.  His WD AGO 53-55 reflects the following awards and decorations:  Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.  His WD AGO 53-55 also reflects campaign participation credit for the Ryukyus Campaign.  

Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register), dated 6 July 1961, lists the unit awards and campaign credit received by units serving in World War II.  This document shows the unit to which the applicant was assigned was only cited for the Air Offense – Japan Campaign.  It was awarded for the time period 17 April 1942 through 2 September 1945.  Iwo Jima is not listed as an authorized Army campaign.

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.  The Board noted the applicant's contention that he served at Iwo Jima during the campaign to secure the island for a military base; however, the available evidence of record does not support his contention and the applicant has not provided any corroborating evidence to support it.  Furthermore, Department of the Army Pamphlet (DA PAM) 672-1 does not list Iwo Jima as an Army campaign.  Therefore, the Army cannot credit the applicant with a campaign that is not listed in DA PAM 672-1.

2.  In order to justify correction of a military record, the applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust.  The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy this requirement.

3.  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.

NOTE:  Request that the Army Review Boards Agency, Support Division, St. Louis furnish a correction to the WD AGO 53-55 to show in item 32 that he was awarded campaign participation credit for the Air Offensive, Japan Campaign and delete the Ryukyus Campaign credit.  

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

__rvo___  __jpi___  __pm____  DENY APPLICATION

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

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002067224	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20020530	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19460301	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-365	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	DENY	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0000	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.