PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:  25 July 2002
	DOCKET NUMBER:  AR2002068567

	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	
	Ms. Joyce A. Wright		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O'Connor, Jr. 		Chairperson	
	Mr. Kenneth W. Lapin		Member	
	Mr. Richard T. Dunbar		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, in effect, correction of item 6 (Organization) of his 
WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation) to show the entry “Btry [Battery] D, 116th AAA [Antiaircraft Artillery] Gun Bn [Battalion]” instead of the entry “Btry A, 109 AAA Gun Bn” as his last unit of assignment.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that item 6 on his WD AGO Form 53-55 is incorrect and lists him as a member of the 109th AAA Gun Battalion.  He also states that he was assigned to the 116th AAA Gun Battalion until his transfer 
to the 109th AAA Gun Battalion for early release.  In support of his application, he submits copies of:  his WD AGO Form 53-55, his WD AGO Form 100 (Separation Qualification Record), a letter from his former executive officer, and
a copy of orders awarding him the “Bronze Service Arrowhead.”

4.  The applicant's military records were destroyed or lost during the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and show he entered active duty on 20 March 1943, as a cannoneer (2601).  He served in the European Theater of Operations from 21 October 1943 to 10 October 1945, and was honorably discharged on 28 October 1945. 

5.  The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Medal with one silver service star and one “bronze star arrowhead”, and the Marksmanship Badge with rifle bar.

6.  The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55, which was authenticated in his
own hand, shows “Battery A, 109th AAA Gun Bn” as his last unit of assignment.  The applicant’s Honorable Discharge Certificate, dated 28 October 1945, shows Battery A, 109th AAA Gun Battalion as his unit.

7.  The applicant provided a copy of WD AGO Form 100, which shows that he was a cannoneer and served with the 116th AAA Gun Battalion in the European Theater of Operations.

8.  The applicant provided a copy of a letter from his former executive officer, dated 7 December 2000.  He states, in summary, that the applicant was assigned to Battery D, 116th AAA Gun Battalion from 20 March 1943 to 16 August 1945, and was later reassigned 50 days prior to his separation from service.

9.  The applicant provided a copy of Headquarters, 116th AAA Gun Battalion Mobile (MBL) General Orders Number 10, dated 2 June 1945, which shows 
that he was awarded the “Bronze Service Arrowhead” for his participation in 
the assault which secured the initial Normandy Beachheads while assigned to  that unit.

10.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) provides unit citation and campaign participation credit.  The pamphlet shows that the 116th AAA Gun Battalion was given assault landing credit during the Normandy Campaign, by War Department General Order 70-45.  This General Order superseded General Orders Number 10, dated 2 June 1945, from Headquarters, 116th AAA Gun Battalion (MBL).  Assault landing credit entitles participants to wear the “arrowhead device” on the appropriate campaign medal.

11.  A DA Form 1577, dated 12 February 1997, shows that the Army Reserve Personnel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, determined the applicant was also
authorized to be issued the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp.

12.  Based on regulations in effect at the time, a service member’s unit of assignment at the time of his separation from the service was entered in 
item 6 (Organization) of the WD AGO Form 53-55.  The unit shown in item 6 was not necessarily the same unit with which the applicant served during World War II.  If the service member was transferred to a unit at a separation center for the purpose of discharge processing, then the unit shown in item 6 was the unit 
from which the soldier was separated.  This is an important entry because it assists in locating a soldier’s military records.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record provided by the applicant shows that he was assigned to Battery D, 116th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Gun Battalion during World War II and that Battery A, 109th AAA Gun Battalion was likely a transitional unit based on the short period of time between his departure from the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations and his separation from active duty.  Therefore, it would be appropriate to correct item 6 (Organization) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 to show the entry “Btry D, 116th AAA Gun Bn” and correction of his Honorable Discharge Certificate to show Battery D, 116th AAA Gun Battalion.

2.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant was eligible for the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his record to show these awards.

3.  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 for the individual concerns be corrected:

a.  by showing the entry “Btry D, 116th AAA Gun Bn” in item 6 of his WD AGO Form 53-55; 

b.  by correcting his Honorable Discharge Certificate to show Battery D, 116th AAA Gun Battalion”; and 

c.  by showing in item 33 (Decorations and Awards) of his WD AGO Form 53-55 that he was awarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp.

BOARD VOTE:  

__ro___  ___kl__  ___rd___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__Raymond V. O'Connor, Jr.___
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002068567	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20020725	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19451028	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-365	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  1021		
2.  46		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.