PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:      

	BOARD DATE:           06 NOVEMBER 2003                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:  AR2003086599

	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. Deborah L. Brantley		Senior Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Stanley Kelley		Chairperson	
	Mr. Raymond J. Wagner		Member	
	Ms. Mae M. Bullock		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 award of the Purple Heart be confirmed and that his records be corrected to reflect award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.  He states that his military records were burned and needs the two awards confirmed in order to apply for disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  He states that he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 143rd Infantry during World War II.  In support of his request he submits his self-authored statement, a copy of a Certification of Military Service, and a Statement of Service World War II, issued in May 1951.

3.  The applicant's records were apparently lost or destroyed during the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center.  Information contained herein was reconstructed from information provided by the applicant.  

4.  He served on active duty between 30 September 1943 and 31 December 1945 when he was honorably discharged in the grade of corporal.  

5.  The 1951 Statement of Service World War II indicates that he was an infantryman, that he was awarded the Purple Heart, and that he participated in four designated campaigns while in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations.  The document also shows that he participated in a combat assault landing.

6.  A review of Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 does confirm that the 2nd Battalion, 143rd Infantry did participate in the four campaigns listed on the applicant’s 1951 Statement of Service World War II, and was credited with an assault landing in Southern France.

7. There are basically three requirements for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.  The Soldier must be an infantryman, assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must have actively participated in such ground combat.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board is satisfied, based on the 1951 Statement of Service World War II, that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart and as such, concludes that it would be appropriate, and in the interest of justice, to confirm the award.

2.  The evidence available to the Board also suggests that the applicant met the qualification requirements for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.  His records should be corrected accordingly.

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 be corrected:

	a.  by confirming that the applicant was awarded the Purple Heart; and 

	b.  by awarding him the Combat Infantryman Badge.

BOARD VOTE:  

__SK ___  __RJW__  __MMB__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_____Stanley Kelley______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2003086599	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20031106	
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.