MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:   

	BOARD DATE:            29 November 2001                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001062660

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the record of consideration of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.

	Mr. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Mrs. Nancy Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr. John P. Infante		Member	
	Mr. William D. Powers		Member	

	The Board, established pursuant to authority contained in 10 U.S.C. 1552, convened at the call of the Chairperson on the above date.  In accordance with Army Regulation 15-185, the application and the available military records pertinent to the corrective action requested were reviewed to determine whether to authorize a formal hearing, recommend that the records be corrected without a formal hearing, or to deny the application without a formal hearing if it is determined that insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice.

	The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

APPLICANT REQUESTS:  In effect, that he be awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB).

APPLICANT STATES:  That he was a chauffer up until he shipped out to Guadalcanal in November 1942 with Company H, 19th Infantry as part of the 25th Division.  He was made a squad leader when they shipped out.  He served with the 25th Division until Guadalcanal was secured.  He spent 21 days on the front line as a squad leader.  He had two machine guns and men to man them.  He lost two men, one killed and one from battle fatigue.  After everything was secured they moved back to the beach.  Shortly after this he was evacuated with malaria and jaundice.  

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant's military records were lost or destroyed n the National Personnel Records Center fire in 1973.  Information contained herein was obtained form alternate sources.

The applicant enlisted in the Army on 2 April 1940.  He arrived in the Central Pacific Theater of Operations on 17 June 1940.  He departed the theater on      11 June 1943 and arrived in the States on 25 June 1943.  His Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55, shows his branch of service as Transportation Corps and his military occupational specialty (MOS) as Chauffeur.  He separated on 28 August 1945.

Army Regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards.  In pertinent part, it states that the CIB was established during World War II to provide special recognition of the unique role of the Army infantryman, the only soldier whose daily mission is to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain.  The badge was intended as an inducement for individuals to join the infantry while serving as a morale booster for infantrymen.  In developing the CIB, the War Department did not dismiss or ignore the contributions of other branches.  Their vital contributions to the overall war effort were noted, but it was decided that other awards and decorations were sufficient to recognize their contributions.  From the beginning, Army leadership have taken care to retain the badge for the unique purpose for which it was established.  There are basically three requirements for award of the CIB.  The soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must actively participate in such ground combat.  

DISCUSSION:  Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:

1.  In order to justify correction of a military record the applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust.  The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy this requirement.

2.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant did not hold an infantry MOS and he did not perform infantry duties on a regular basis.  As he acknowledges, he was a chauffeur up until the time his unit shipped out to Guadalcanal and he served on the front lines, albeit as a squad leader of a machine gun unit, for only 21 days.  It appears it was not his daily mission while in the Central Pacific to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain and it appears he was never awarded an infantry MOS.  It was not unusual for all soldiers in a unit in the Pacific Theater of Operations to temporarily fight as infantrymen until a beachhead could be secured and the Board acknowledges the valuable services he performed during this time; however, they do not qualify him for award of the CIB.

3.  In view of the foregoing, there is no basis for granting the applicant's request.

DETERMINATION:  The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

__rvo___  __jpi___  __wdp___  DENY APPLICATION

		    Carl W. S. Chun
		    Director, Army Board for Correction
    of Military Records

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001062660	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20011129	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(DENY)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0111	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.