PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            22 August 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999033850

	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. Joseph A. Adriance		Analyst	

The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Edward Williamson		Chairperson	
	Ms. Margaret V. Thompson		Member	
	Mr. Kenneth W. Lapin		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, a correction to the military occupational specialty contained in block 23a of his Department of Defense (DD) Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) and that he be informed of all awards and decorations to which he is entitled.  

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that block 23a of the DD Form 214 he was issued upon his separation was incorrect and should have read 11B4P as opposed to 11B40 as is the case.  He indicates that he has attempted to obtain information on all the awards he is due and to correct his record as indicated in the preceding paragraph for 5 years without success.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that on 11 June 1965 he enlisted in the Regular Army for 3 years.  He successfully completed basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, advanced individual training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Georgia.  At the completion of his training he was awarded military occupational specialty (MOS) 11B (Infantryman) with a Special Qualification Indicator (SQI) of P (Parachutist) and he was assigned to Vietnam for his first permanent duty station.   

5.  He arrived in Vietnam in January 1966 and he was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion/7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.  He served with this unit until being wounded in action in August 1966.  At this time he was medically evacuated to Japan where he remained hospitalized until 1 December 1966, when he was reassigned to Fort Ord, California.

6.  In January 1967, the applicant arrived at Fort Ord where he performed duties as a Drill Sergeant and as an Assistant Instructor in MOS 11B40.  On 15 July 1967, he was promoted to Sergeant/E-5, which is the highest rank he held while on active duty.  He served at Fort Ord until his separation on 10 June 1968.

7.  The applicant’s Department of the Army (DA) Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) indicates in block 22 (Military Occupational Specialties) that the applicant’s primary MOS was 11B4P (Light Weapons Infantryman/Parachutist) as of 22 October 1965.  Block 39 (Campaigns) of the DA Form 20 indicates that the applicant participated in the Vietnam Counteroffensive and Vietnam Counteroffensive, Phase II, campaigns of the Vietnam conflict. 

8.  The DD Form 214, issued to and signed by the applicant upon his separation shows that he was honorably released from active duty on 10 June 1968 after reaching his expiration of term of service (ETS) date.  At the time of his separation he had completed 3 years of honorable active military service.  

9.  In block 23a (Specialty Number & Title) of the applicant’s DD Form 214 the MOS number is listed as 11B40 and his title is listed as Light Weapons Infantryman.  The block contains no reference to the applicant’s SQI “P.”  In addition, block 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) shows that he earned the following awards while on active duty:  the National Defense Service Medal; the Marksman Badge-Rifle; the Vietnam Service Medal; the Vietnam Campaign Medal; the Combat Infantryman Badge; the Purple Heart; and the Distinguished Service Cross.  

10.  Army Pamphlet 672-3 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) establishes the eligibility of individual members for campaign participation credit, assault landing credit, and unit citation badges awarded during the Vietnam Conflict.  Paragraph 1-6 provides miscellaneous information on awards authorized for Vietnam service.  It states, in pertinent part, that one bronze service star (BSS) is authorized for each campaign for combat service within the territorial limits for Vietnam and adjacent waters.  It is worn on the Vietnam Service Medal.  

11.  Table 1 (Army Units in Numerical Order) of the register contains a list of all units and the unit awards to which they are entitled and the period for which the awards were earned.  This table indicates that during the applicant’s tenure with the unit, the 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry earned the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross/with Palm for service, between 17 November 1965 and 19 May 1969, as codified in DA General Order (DAGO) 70 issued in 1969.  

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board noted the applicant’s desire to have his SQI “P” added to his MOS in block 23a of his DD Form 214.  The Board finds no reason to deny this request and concludes it would be appropriate to provide this relief by correcting  block 23a to read :”11B4P (Light Weapons Infantryman/Parachutist)” and to add the “Basic Airborne Course” to block 25 (Education and Training Completed).

2.  The Board also concludes that it would be appropriate to award the applicant the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross/with Palm, which he earned for his service in Vietnam and to add this award to block 24 of his DD Form 214.  In addition, the Board finds it would be proper to correct the Vietnam Service Medal entry in block 24 of the applicant’s DD Form 214 to read “Vietnam Service Medal/with 2 Bronze Service Stars”, which would properly recognize the applicant’s campaign participation.  

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 by changing the following entries on the applicant’s DD Form 214 to read as follows:  block 23a-“11B4P (Light Weapons Infantryman/Parachutist)”; 
block 24-add “Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross/with Palm” and correct the Vietnam Service Medal entry in this block to read “Vietnam Service Medal/with 
2 Bronze Service Stars”; and block 25-add “Basic Airborne Course.”  

BOARD VOTE:  

__mvt ___  ___kwl __  __elw___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		____Edward Williamson____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999033850	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2000/08/22	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	1968/06/10	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 635-200	
DISCHARGE REASON	ETS	
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  1021	100.0000	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.