PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            5 April 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999030237

	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. Joseph A. Adriance 		Analyst	

The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. Stanley Kelley		Member	
	Mr. Lester Echols		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, on behalf of the deceased former service member (FSM), in effect, that his service with Battery (Btry) B, 324th Field Artillery (FA) Battalion (Bn) , 83rd Infantry Division (Inf Div) be noted on his separation documents.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that the FSM served the preponderance of his military service with B Btry, 324th FA Bn of the 83rd Inf Div and was only assigned to Headquarters (HQ) Btry of the 372nd FA Bn in order to be transported home.  She further states that the FSM was extremely proud of the unit with which he served during World War II and she feels it would be appropriate that this unit be listed and acknowledged somewhere on the FSM’s discharge documents.  The applicant has enclosed several envelopes with postmarks listed for the years 1941-1945.  This envelopes are addressed by the FSM to her with the return address listed as B Btry, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.  The return addresses show the same unit at several different locations, which include Camp Atterbury, Indiana; Camp Bainbridge, Kentucky, and Europe at APO 83.  She has also included a copy of the FSM’s promotion certificate to the rank of sergeant, dated 7 September 1942, issued at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.  This promotion certificate also shows the FSM’s unit of assignment as Btry B, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.  

4.  The FSM’s official military records were not available for review by this Board. A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members’ records at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973.  It is believed that the FSM’s records were lost in that fire.

5.  The evidence of record does include a copy of a War Department (WD) Adjutant General Office (AGO) Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation-Honorable Discharge), which was issued to the FSM at his separation on 10 October 1945.  The WD AGO Form 53-55 shows that the FSM entered the Army of the United States on 14 June 1941, departed for England on 6 April 1944, and served in the European Theater until 19 September 1945, when he departed for the United States to be discharged.  

6.  The WD AGO 53-55 also documents that the FSM participated in the following battles and campaigns of World War II:  Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.  In addition, it verifies that he earned the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, and the European African Middle Eastern Service Ribbon.  The unit listed as the FSM’s organization on the date of his discharge was HQ Btry, 372nd FA Bn. 

7.  The applicant has provided a WD AGO Form 58 (Promotion Certificate), issued to the FSM on 7 September 1942, the date he was promoted to sergeant at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.  This document lists the FSM’s unit of assignment, at that time, as B Btry, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.  
8.  The applicant has also provided copies of five envelopes, addressed to her by the FSM, which are postmarked with dates ranging from 1941 to 1945.  The last one of these envelopes was postmarked by the Army Postal Service, APO 83 (Europe), on 10 July 1945.  The FSM’s unit of assignment is listed in all the return addresses contained on these envelopes as B Btry, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  After carefully examining all the available evidence, the Board has determined that the WD AGO Form 53-55 issued to the FSM was proper and equitable at the time is was issued.  Notwithstanding this fact, the Board found no reason to doubt the contentions of the applicant that the preponderance of the FSM’s wartime service was served with B Btry, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.  

2.  Although, not a standard necessary entry, the Board concluded, in the interest of compassion, equity, and fairness, that a statement should be added to the remarks section of the FSM’s separation documents, which indicates that his World War II service, in the European Theater of Operations from 16 April 1944 to 19 September 1945, was with B Btry, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.  

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 adding the following statement to the remarks section of the FSM’s separation document.  “European Theater of Operations Service, from 16 April 1944 to 
19 September 1945, served with B Btry, 324th FA Bn, 83rd Inf Div.”

BOARD VOTE:  

___sk___  __rvo ___  ___le ___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		___Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.___
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999030237	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2000/04/05	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	1945/10/10	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-365	
DISCHARGE REASON	Demobilization	
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1. 1021	100.0000	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.