PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:    

	BOARD DATE:          11 September 2003                    
	DOCKET NUMBER:  AR2003083495

	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. Richard P. Nelson		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Stanley Kelley		Chairperson	
	Mr. Christopher J. Prosser       		Member	
	Mr. John T. Meixell		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 his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation-Honorable Discharge) to show award of the Bronze Star Medal.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he is entitled to award of the Bronze Star Medal based on being cited in orders, in the form of award of the Combat Infantryman Badge, between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945.  In support of his request, the applicant has submitted a copy of Headquarters, 18th Infantry Regiment General Orders Number 18, dated 18 March 1945, which awarded him the Combat Infantryman Badge.

4.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.  Records available to the Board were obtained from alternate sources and consist primarily of his WD AGO Form 
53-55.

5.  The available records show that the applicant was inducted on 14 April 1943.  He completed training as an infantryman, then served in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations from 19 December 1943 to July 1945.  The applicant was honorably separated from active duty on 20 November 1945.

6.  The applicant's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that he received the following awards and decorations: the Good Conduct Medal; the Purple Heart; the Combat Infantryman Badge; the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; the American Campaign Medal; and, the World War II Victory Medal.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the Bronze Star Medal is awarded for heroism and for meritorious achievement or service in military operations against an armed enemy.  The Bronze Star Medal is authorized for each individual who was cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945 or whose achievement or service, during that period, was confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947.  An award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge is considered to be a citation in orders.  This means, in effect, that the Bronze Star Medal is to be awarded to individuals who were authorized either badge for service during World War II.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Evidence of record shows that the applicant was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge on 18 March 1945.  As such, he is entitled to award of the Bronze Star Medal and correction of his records to reflect this award.

2.  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 be corrected by showing that the individual concerned was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

___jtm___  ___sk___  ___cjp___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_________Stanley Kelley__________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2003083495	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20030911	
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.		
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.