PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:    

	BOARD DATE:         10 December 2002                   
	DOCKET NUMBER: AR2002073740

	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. Edmund P. Mercanti		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Celia L. Adolphi		Chairperson	
	Mr. Ted S. Kanamine		Member	
	Mr. Conrad V. Meyer		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 brother’s WD AGO Form 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, Honorable Discharge, be changed from showing that he was assigned to Company A, 34th Tank Battalion, to show he was assigned to Company A, 67th Armored Regiment.

3.  The applicant states that his brother, the Former Service Member (FSM), served with Company A, 67th Armored Regiment throughout WWII.  He was only assigned to Company A, 34th Tank Battalion to be transferred back to the United States.  

4.  In support of his request the applicant submits copies of portions of his brother’s military records.  These records show that the FSM was assigned to Company A, 67th Armored Regiment from 5 March 1943 to 22 August 1945, and then was transferred to Company A, 34th Tank Battalion.

5.  The FSM’s military records could not be located and are presumed to have been destroyed in the fire at the records repository at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973.  However, the applicant has also provided the Board a copy of the FSM’s WD AGO Form 53-55.

6.  The FSM’s WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that he was inducted and entered on active duty on 21 September 1942.  He was awarded the military occupational specialty of tank commander, served in the Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe campaigns, and was honorably released from active duty on 15 October 1945 due to demobilization of the Army.  The WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that the applicant was assigned to Company A, 34th Tank Battalion.  This document shows that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal and the Belgium Fourragere (a foreign unit award).

7.  Technical Manual 12-235, Discharge Procedures and Preparation of Separation Forms, in effect at the time, provides in paragraph 24 that item 6 of the WD AGO Form 53-55, Organization, be completed as follows:  “Enter the last unit, or similar element to which he was assigned, rather than the element of which he was a part while moving to a separation activity.   Assignments to units for purpose of transfer from a theater to the United States are considered part of the movement to a separation activity.”

8.  A WWII specific award is the WWII Victory Medal which is awarded for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946, both dates inclusive.

9.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1, Unit Citation and Campaign Credit Register, shows that Company A, 67th Armored Regiment, was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for the period 27 through 30 July 1944; it was given occupation (Germany) credit for the period 2 May through 31 October 1945; and it was given assault credit for the period 9 through 11 July 1943.  

10.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides that the Army of Occupation Medal (AOM) is awarded for service of 30 consecutive days at a normal post of duty while assigned to a qualifying location.  Personnel at a qualifying location as an inspector, courier, escort, temporary or detached duty are precluded from eligibility.  For Germany, service must have been between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  It is evident that the FSM was assigned to Company A, 67th Armored Regiment during WWII, and was only assigned to Company A, 34th Tank Battalion for the purpose of transfer back to the United States.  As such, Company A, 67th Armored Regiment should be listed in item 6, Organization, of the WD AGO Form 53-55.

2.  In addition, the Distinguished Unit Citation and the AOM (Germany) should be awarded to the FSM and added to his separation document.  Also, his EAME Campaign Medal should have an arrow device added to denote his unit's assault credit.

3.  In view of the foregoing, the FSM’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:

a.  correcting the FSM’s WD AGO Form 53-55, item 6, by showing his organization as Company A, 67th Armored Regiment;

b.  awarding to him the Distinguished Unit Citation and the AOM (Germany); and

c.  adding the arrow device to his EAME Campaign Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

___cla___  ____tsk_  ___cvm__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__________Celia L. Adolphi_______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002073740	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20021210	
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.	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.