PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:  15 February 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999033513

	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. Paul A. Petty .		                       Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Fred Eichorn		Chairperson	
	Ms. Karol A. Kennedy		Member	
	Mr. Roger Able		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 his Enlisted Record and Report of Separation from World War II show his combat unit of assignment, his infantry military occupational specialty (MOS), his arm of service as Infantry, his highest rank held, that he be awarded any military awards for which he is authorized but has not received; and that he receive a separation certificate for the same period showing his highest rank held and his combat unit of assignment.

3.  The applicant states that during WWII, he was in combat with C.C.R. Rifle W., 14th Armored Division, following the Battle of the Bulge.  He provides a copy of his DD Form 214, Report of Transfer or Discharge, for the period ending 
29 February 1968, showing his retirement from the active Army.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he was inducted into the Army on 
2 March 1943 and entered on active duty on 9 March 1943.  He was advanced to the rank of Private First Class (PFC) on 2 June 1943.  On 25 July 1943, he was shipped overseas to the European Theater of Operations arriving 30 July 1943.

5.  The applicant is one of 2221 African-American Volunteers that volunteered for infantry duty in early 1945 in response to a call for such volunteers from non-combat units to replace infantry losses following the Battle of the Bulge in WWII.  A condition of volunteering for African-American soldiers was administrative reduction to Private (PVT) or Private First Class (PFC).  After volunteering, the applicant was so reduced to PVT on 1 January 1945.  He then received combat infantry training in France and was assigned to the 7th Armored Infantry Company No. 4 (Provisional), 19th Armored Infantry Battalion, 14th Armored Division on 27 March 1945 as a PVT in the MOS 745, Rifleman, according to his WW II Service Record.  He fought with this unit in combat entering Germany on 
1 April 1945.  On 4 June 1945, he was transferred to the 359th Quartermaster Truck Company.  He departed Europe on 22 November 1945 and arrived back in the United States on 8 December 1945.  He was honorably discharged on 
15 December 1945 by reason of demobilization.  He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) on 17 April 1945 but this was not recorded on his WD AGO Form 53-55.  He was also awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 5 bronze service stars, the Good Conduct Medal, and the WW II Victory Medal.  His MOS is shown on his WD AGO Form 53-55 as Rifleman, 745; grade as PVT; and Arm or Service as TC (Transportation Corps).

6.  On 4 January 1946, the applicant reenlisted in the Army and served until retirement on 29 February 1968 at the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6.  His discharge for this date does not list his decorations and medals from WW II.  It does show that he was awarded two Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, a 1 year Safe Driver Badge, and an Expert Marksmanship Badge with Riffle Bar.
7.  His DA Form 20, Enlisted Qualification Record, shows that the applicant was awarded the Army of Occupation of Medal with Germany clasp on 31 December 1955 for his service in Germany between 1952 and 1955 but this award is not shown on his retirement DD Form 214.

8.  According to Army Regulation 600-8-2, Military Awards, paragraph 3-13, a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Combat Medical Badge (CMB), or other certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy, is eligible for award of the Bronze Star Medal (BSM).  On 15 December 1977, that applicant requested that the Reserve Components Personnel and Administration Center provide him the BSM in accordance with the above regulation.  On 9 January 1978, the BSM was mailed to the applicant.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant's Enlisted Record and Report of Separation from World War II should show his combat unit of assignment as 7th Armored Infantry Company 
No. 4 (Provisional), 19th Armored Infantry Battalion, 14th Armored Division; his arm or service as Infantry; his grade the same as his highest rank held, PFC; and add his awards the CIB and the BSM.

2.  His Honorable Discharge Certificate, DD Form 256A, for the same period should show Private First Class and his combat unit of assignment as 
7th Armored Infantry Company No. 4 (Provisional), 19th Armored Infantry Battalion, 14th Armored Division.

3.  All of his WW II decorations and medals should also be shown on his 
DD Form 214 for the period ending 29 February.

4.  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 for the individual concerned by:

	a.  correcting the WD AGO Form 53-55, Honorable Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, from World War II to show his combat unit of assignment as 7th Armored Infantry Company No. 4 (Provisional), 19th Armored Infantry Battalion, 14th Armored Division; his arm or service as Infantry; his grade the same as his highest rank held, PFC; and that he was also awarded the CIB and the Bronze Star Medal;

b.  issuing him a new Honorable Discharge Certificate, DD Form 256A, 
dated 15 December 1945 showing his rank as Private First Class and his combat unit of assignment as 7th Armored Infantry Company No. 4 (Provisional), 
19th Armored Infantry Battalion, 14th Armored Division;

	c.  showing on his DD Form 214 for the period ending 29 February 1968 that he was also awarded the CIB, the Bronze Star Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 5 bronze service stars, the Good Conduct Medal (3d Award), the WW II Victory Medal, and National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), along with his 1 year Safe Driver Badge and his Expert Marksmanship Badge with Rifle Bar.

BOARD VOTE:  

__FE___  __KK___  ___RA__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		____Fred Eichorn___
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999033513	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000215	
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.