PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           12 March 2002                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001065430

	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	
	Mrs. Nancy Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Irene N. Wheelwright		Chairperson	
	Mr. Raymond J. Wagner		Member	
	Ms. Gail J. Wire		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 that his Report of Separation, WD AGO Form 53-55, be amended to add the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Bronze Star Medal (BSM) (based upon award of the CIB), and four arrowheads.

3.  The applicant states that he earned the CIB, BSM, and four arrowheads during his service with the 180th Infantry, 45th Division during World War II.  He states he was an infantryman, he never trained as a radio repairman nor was he ever assigned as a radio repairman.  He was awarded $10.00 per month for being awarded the CIB retroactive to the date they arrived in Europe and he continued to receive the $10.00 up until his discharge.

4.  The applicant’s military records were lost or destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire in 1973.  Information contained herein was obtained from alternate sources.

5.  The applicant was inducted and entered active duty on 9 February 1942.      He served 1 year, 4 months, and 6 days in continental service.  He arrived in    the Mediterranean Theater of Operations on 22 June 1943 and departed on      13 August 1945.  He separated on 3 September 1945.  His WD AGO Form 53-55 shows his branch of service as infantryman.  It shows his military occupational specialty as radio repairman; however, his final payment voucher shows he was due combat infantryman pay.  It shows he received credit for six campaigns – Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, Sicily, and Southern France.  It shows he was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the M1903 Rifle Expert Badge and the M1 Rifle Marksman Badge.

6.  On 13 November 1999, the National Personnel Records Center authorized, in addition to the awards listed on the applicant’s WD-AGO Form 53-55, issuance of the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Honorable Service Lapel Button, and one silver and one bronze service star for wear on the EAME Campaign Medal to him.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides for the award of the CIB to a soldier who is an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, who is 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.  It provides for the award of the BSM to members of the armed forces who, after 6 December 1941 and prior to   3 September 1945, have been cited in orders or in a formal certificate for meritorious or exemplary conduct in ground combat against the armed enemy.  A citation in orders for the Combat Infantryman Badge or Medical Badge awarded in the field during the period of actual combat against the armed enemy is considered as a citation for exemplary conduct in ground combat.  It provides for wear of a bronze service star on the appropriate campaign medal for each credited campaign.  A silver service star is worn in lieu of five bronze service stars.  The Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp is awarded for service in Germany between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides for the “arrowhead” to be worn on the appropriate service medal to denote participation in a combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing while assigned or attached as a member of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission.  The regulation specifies that individual assault credit is tied directly to the combat assault credit decision for the unit to which the soldier is assigned.  The regulation requires that the unit must be credited with a combat assault in order for the soldiers to receive credit for a combat assault and the soldier must physically exit the aircraft or the watercraft as appropriate. The regulation also specifies that the arrowhead is authorized for wear on the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.  Only one arrowhead will be worn on any ribbon.  Soldier qualification records will be annotated for arrowhead credit per Army Regulation 640-2-1 (superseded by Army Regulation 600-8-104, the current regulation for preparation of the Personnel Qualification Record).  

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-104 states that each authorized campaign will be entered on the Personnel Qualification Record and, when authorized, the notation “(AR)” to indicate arrowhead.  

10.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 shows that the 180th Infantry received assault landing credit for Scoglitti (Sicily) for the period 9 – 11 July 1943.  It also shows that the unit received assault landing credit for Southern France for the period 9 – 11 July 1943.  However, Awards Branch, U. S. Total Army Personnel Command reviewed General Orders 70-45 and determined that the unit received assault landing credit for Scoglitti for the period 9 – 11 July 1943 and for Southern France for the period 15 – 16 August 1944.  The Pamphlet also shows that the unit received the French Croix de Guerre for the period 1 – 31 January 1944 and occupation credit for Germany for the period      2 May – 5 July 1945.  There is no individual device, medal, or ribbon authorized for wear by the individual members of the unit for the French Croix de Guerre.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board notes that the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 shows his military occupational specialty as radio repairman; however, he was also authorized combat infantryman pay.  The Board concludes that the applicant would not have been authorized combat infantryman pay unless he performed duties as an 

infantryman on a regular basis.  Therefore, it appears to the Board that he met the eligibility requirements for award of the CIB and the BSM based upon award of the CIB.

2.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 requires that a unit must be credited with a combat assault in order for a soldier to receive credit for a combat assault.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 and General Orders 70-45 confirm that the 180th Infantry received assault landing credit for Scoglitti (Sicily) and for Southern France but not for any other campaign.  Based upon current standards for indicating assault landing credit on the Personnel Qualification Record, it would be appropriate to also show assault landing credit against the Sicily and Southern France campaigns as listed on the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55.  Only one arrowhead device may be worn on the EAME Campaign Medal.

3.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 shows that the 180th Infantry was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for a period of time the applicant was assigned to the unit and that the unit received occupation credit for Germany for a period of time the applicant was assigned.  Therefore, he met the eligibility criteria for award of the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp.

4.  In 1999 the National Personnel Records Center authorized issuance of the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Honorable Service Lapel Button, and one silver and one bronze service star for wear on the EAME Campaign Medal to the applicant, all awards for which the applicant met the eligibility requirements.  His WD AGO Form 53-55 should be amended to add these awards.

5.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by awarding the applicant the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star Medal.

2.  That the applicant’s WD AGO Form 53-55 be amended to indicate assault landing credit after the Sicily and Southern France campaigns and to add the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Honorable Service Lapel Button, the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp, the French Croix de Guerre Unit Citation – No Emblem Authorized, and one silver and one bronze service star to the EAME Campaign Medal.

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

BOARD VOTE:  

__inw___  __rjw___  __gjw___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Irene N. Wheelwright
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001065430	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20020312	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0014	
2.	107.0111	
3.	110.04	
4.		
5.		
6.