PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:        

	BOARD DATE:            27 January 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999032624

	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. Jessie B. Strickland		Analyst	

The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Irene N. Wheelwright		Chairperson	
	Mr. Stanley Kelly		Member	
	Mr. Elzey J. Arledge, Jr.		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, that he be issued an Honorable Discharge Certificate with his correct serial number depicted.  

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that the seventh digit of his serial number on his Honorable Discharge Certificate dated 15 May 1958 incorrectly reflects a digit of “2” instead of a “3” and he desires it to be corrected.  In support of his application he submits a copy of his report of separation and a copy of his discharge certificate.

4.  The applicant’s military records were partially destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri which destroyed millions of service records.  However, the surviving records show that he was inducted in New York on 18 March 1952 and was issued a serial number with a seventh digit of “3”.

5.  He served until he was honorably released from active duty on 17 December 1953 and was transferred to the USAR Control Group (Reinforcement).  On 15 May 1958 he was honorably discharged from the USAR and was issued an Honorable Discharge Certificate.  Although his serial number was properly converted from an Army of the United States (AUS) number to an Enlisted Reserve (ER) number, the serial number on the certificate incorrectly reflects a seventh digit of “2” instead of a “3”. 

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it must be presumed that an administrative error resulted in the wrong serial number being entered on the applicant’s Honorable Discharge Certificate dated 15 May 1958.

2.  The evidence of record clearly shows that the seventh digit of his serial number was a “3” instead of the “2” that is depicted on his discharge certificate.  Therefore, it would be in the interest of justice to correct the error at this time.

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 by showing that the individual concerned was issued an Honorable Discharge Certificate with the seventh digit of his serial number being a “3” instead of a “2” as currently depicted on the certificate he now holds.

BOARD VOTE:  

____sk__  ___eja __  __inw ___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		___Irene N. Wheelwright____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999032624	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2000/01/27	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  11 	100.1000/MILI SER #	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.