PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:            11 May 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:    AR1999034581

	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. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr.		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. James M. Alward		Member	
	Mr. Christopher J. Prosser		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 award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and credit for his service as an “infantry combatant in Italy in 1944.”

3.  The applicant submitted two applications, one dated 10 April 1999 and one dated 20 April 1999, in which he states that he has provided a cover letter and several exhibits which he believes more than justify his entitlement to award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.  In support of his application, the applicant submitted a 17 December 1998 letter of explanation, an addendum to his 20 April 1999 application, a Reuters news service article from the Buffalo [New York] Evening News, a history of the 209th Coast Artillery Regiment and the 898th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, a copy of a 7 December 1944 commendation from the Fifth Army Commanding General to the 898th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion, a copy of 898th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion General Orders Number 6, dated 20 July 1944, which awarded the Purple Heart to several fellow soldiers, a map and article on the actions of Combat Team 9 on or about 1 January 1945, and a copy of his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation).

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he entered active duty on 10 February 1941 as a member of the Coast Artillery Corps.  He served as an  antiaircraft artilleryman in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations from 20 May 1942 to 26 August 1945.  The applicant was honorably discharged on 10 September 1945.

5.  The applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 does not show the Combat Infantryman Badge as an authorized award.  His discharge document shows that his military occupational specialty (MOS) was “ANTI AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY NCO AUTOMATIC WEAPONS” in specialty number “601”. 

6.  There is no indication in the applicant’s records which shows that he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge.  There also is no indication in his records that he was awarded an infantry MOS or served in an infantry duty position in an infantry unit.  The applicant’s WD AGO Form 24 (Service Record) shows that he was assigned to Anti Aircraft Artillery units throughout his service during World War II.

7.  The applicant provided a copy of a commendation from the Commanding General of Fifth United States Army to the 898th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion for the unit’s antiaircraft defense of II Corps and their “defense as infantry, for a period of several weeks, of a sector of our front lines along the Arno River…  The fine state of discipline and training and the demonstrated courage, determination and devotion to duty of your officers and men enabled them to creditably perform, with a minimum of training, their new and difficult role of provisional infantry.”

8.  The Board noted that the applicant is entitled to the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp and the World War II Victory Medal which are not shown on his discharge document.

9.  War Department Circular 269-1943 established the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge to recognize and provide an incentive to infantrymen.  The Expert Infantryman Badge was to be awarded for attainment of certain proficiency standards or by satisfactory performance of duty in action against the enemy.  The Combat Infantryman Badge was awarded for exemplary conduct in action against the enemy.  War Department Circular 186-1944 further provided that the Combat Infantryman Badge was to be awarded only to infantrymen serving with infantry units of brigade, regimental or smaller size.  Additionally, World War II holders of the Combat Infantryman Badge received a monthly pay supplement known as combat infantry pay and holders of the Expert Infantryman Badge were entitled to expert infantry pay.  Therefore, soldiers had economic as well as intangible reasons to ensure that their records were correct. Thus, pay records are frequently the best available source to verify entitlement to this award.  

10.  The Awards Branch, Total Army Personnel Command, has advised in similar cases that, during World War II, the Combat Infantryman Badge was normally awarded only to enlisted individuals who served in the following positions:

    a.  Light machine gunner (604)
    b.  Heavy machine gunner (605)
    c.  Platoon sergeant (651)
    d.  Squad leader (653)
    e.  Rifleman (745)
     f.  Automatic rifleman (746)
    g.  Heavy weapons NCO (812)
    h.  Gun crewman (864)

11.  All soldiers are provided basic combat skills training after they enter the Army.  This is provided to ensure that all soldiers have the survival skills to perform basic infantry missions when the need arises.  The opinion by the Awards Branch also notes that the exigencies of combat may require non-infantry soldiers to temporarily perform the basic infantry duties that all soldiers are taught but such duty is not a basis for the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.

12.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1, Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register, dated 6 July 1961, will show whether or not a World War II unit was authorized occupation credit, thus entitlement to the Army of Occupation Medal.  The Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register shows on page 385 that the unit to which the applicant was assigned received occupation credit in Germany for the period 20 May 1945 to 30 September 1945.

13.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, for award of the World War II Victory Medal.  It is awarded for service between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946, both dates inclusive.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board noted the role of provisional infantry performed by the applicant’s unit during World War II.  However, there is no evidence that the applicant met the regulatory requirements for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or was otherwise entitled to award of the Combat Infantryman Badge.  He did not possess an infantry MOS, did not serve in an authorized infantry duty position, and did not receive combat infantry pay. 

2.  The Board also noted the newspaper article submitted by the applicant which described award of the Combat Infantryman Badge and Bronze Star Medal to African American soldiers who during World War II volunteered to replace white casualties during the Battle of the Bulge.  However, this situation is unrelated to the role of “provisional infantry” performed by the 898th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion because the African American soldiers cited in the newspaper article were reassigned from their support units, administratively reduced to the grade of private or private first class, trained as infantry, and assigned to infantry units which engaged in ground combat with the enemy.

3.  Based on the foregoing, the applicant was not at the time of his service in Italy during World War II and is not now eligible for award of the of the Combat Infantryman Badge.

4.  The applicant’s unit was cited for occupation credit in Germany during his period of assignment to that unit; therefore, he is entitled to award of the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp and correction of his records to show this award.

5.  Based on the applicant’s service during World War II, he is entitled to award of the World War II Victory Medal.  Therefore, the applicant is entitled to correction of his records to show award of the World War II Victory Medal.

6.  In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records, but only as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing the individual concerned was awarded the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp and the World War II Victory Medal.

2.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.

BOARD VOTE:  

________  ________  ________  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999034581	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000511	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19450910	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-365. . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON	DEMOBILIZATION	
BOARD DECISION	GRANT 	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	MR SCHNEIDER	
ISSUES         1.	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.