IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 22 September 2016 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20150013402 BOARD VOTE: _________ _______ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF ___x____ ___x____ ___x____ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION 2 Enclosures 1. Board Determination/Recommendation 2. Evidence and Consideration IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 22 September 2016 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20150013402 BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: 1. The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for partial relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by correcting his WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge) to add to item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) the entry, "Ardennes-Alsace." 2. The Board further determined the evidence presented is insufficient to warrant a portion of the requested relief. As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of the application that pertains to adding an additional bronze service star for wear on his European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal, adding two awards of the French Fourragere Unit Citation, and adding additional Marksmanship Qualification Badges to his WD AGO Form 53-55. ______________x___________ CHAIRPERSON I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case. IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 22 September 2016 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20150013402 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). 2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant, the wife of a deceased former service member (FSM), requests reconsideration of her request to correct the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 (Enlisted Record and Report of Separation – Honorable Discharge) to show: * an additional bronze service star for wear on his European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal * two awards of the French Fourragere Unit Citation * Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar * 1st or 2nd class Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Field Artillery Bar 2. The applicant also requests that all corrections to the FSM's military record be sent to the National Personnel Records Center to include the corrections made to the FSM's records on 14 August 2014. She employed an archivist to locate additional records to support her application. 3. She states that from the time the FSM arrived in England, 14 July to 16 October 1944, no records of assignment were found except for a Replacement Depot location in France. Obviously, he was assigned to a unit that earned the battle star for Northern France as annotated on his WD AGO Form 53-55. She states that the documents she now provides supports the FSM's assignment to Company H, 2d Battalion, 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division vice Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division. 4. She provides numerous Morning Reports, orders, and source documents from the FSM's record. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. Incorporated herein by reference are military records, which were summarized in the previous consideration of the applicant's case by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) in Docket Number AR20130021331 on 12 August 2014. 2. The applicant provides new evidence not previously considered by the Board; this new evidence warrants consideration. 3. The FSM's military record is not available to the Board for review. A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members' records at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973. It is believed that his records were lost or destroyed in that fire. However, there were sufficient documents on file for the Board to conduct a fair and impartial review of this case. This case is being considered primarily using his WD AGO Form 53-55 and documents provided by the applicant. 4. The FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he was inducted into the Army of the United States on 10 March 1943 and he entered active duty on 17 March 1943. Item 36 (Service outside Continental United States and Return) shows he arrived in the European Theater of Operations on 14 July 1944 and departed for the continental United States on 1 January 1946. 5. The applicant provided numerous morning reports. The legible portions of the reports show the following pertinent information: a. It is unclear which unit the FSM was assigned to from 14 July 1944 to the time he was assigned or transferred to the 71st Replacement Battalion; however, the morning reports do show he was transferred from the 71st Replacement Battalion on or around 16 October 1944. b. The FSM was assigned to Company H, 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division from 16 October 1944 to 25 September 1945. c. The FSM was assigned to the 407th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division from 25 September 1945 to 5 December 1945. d. The FSM was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division from 5 December 1945 to 22 January 1946. 6. The FSM's record does not contain, and the applicant did not provide any evidence to show he was awarded or authorized the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar or the 1st or 2nd Class Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Field Artillery Bar. 7. His WD AGO Form 53-55 shows he was honorably discharged from active duty on 22 January 1946. Item 6 (Organization) shows he was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment at the time of his discharge. This form, as amended by a subsequently issued DD Form 215 (Correction to DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), contains the following information b. Item 31 (Military Qualifications and Date) shows he was awarded the Marksman Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Carbine Bar and the Combat Infantryman Badge. c. Item 32 (Battles and Campaigns) shows he participated in the Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. d. Item 33 (Decorations and Citations) shows he was awarded the: * Bronze Star Medal * Army Good Conduct Medal * American Theater Ribbon * European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 bronze service stars * Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp * 3 overseas service bars * Distinguished Unit Badge * WWII Victory Medal REFERENCES: 1. Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (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 WWII. This pamphlet shows: a. the 315th Infantry Regiment, 70th Infantry Division was cited for: * Ardennes-Alsace campaign for the period 16 December 1944 through 25 January 1945 * Central Europe campaign for the period 22 March to 11 May 1945 * Normandy campaign for the period 6 June to 24 July 1944 * Northern France for the period 25 July to 14 September 1944 * Rhineland campaign for the period 15 September 1944 to 21 March 1945 * French Fourragere, 19 June to 27 August 1944 (the FSM was not assigned during this period) and 21 to 24 November 1944 by Department of the Army General Orders Number 43, dated 1950 * Occupation credit for Germany for the period 20 May to14 August 1945 and 4 September to 31 October 1945 b. the 407th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division was cited for: * Central Europe campaign for the period 22 March to 11 May 1945 and the Rhineland campaign for the period 15 September 1944 to 21 March 1945 * Meritorious Unit Commendation for the period 25 October 1944 to 25 April 1945, by General Orders Number (2nd Battalion only) issued by Headquarters, 103rd Infantry Division, dated 6 May 1945 (Service Company and the Medical Detachment only) * Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp for the period 2 May to 31 October 1945 c. Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division was cited for: * Ardennes-Alsace campaign for the period 16 December 1944 through 25 January 1945 * Central Europe campaign for the period 22 March to 11 May 1945 * Northern France for the period 25 July to 14 September 1944 * Rhineland campaign for the period 15 September 1944 to 21 March 1945 * Distinguished Unit Citation for the period 24-28 December 1944, by General Order Number 13, dated 1946 (1st Battalion only) and for the period 25-25 December 1944, by General Order Number 24, dated 1945 (2nd Battalion only) 2. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states: a. The European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is awarded for service within the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater between 7 December 1941 and 8 November 1945. One bronze service star is authorized for each campaign when a Soldier was assigned or attached to, and present for duty with, a unit during the period in which it participated in combat. b. The French Fourragere is an approved foreign unit award. The French Fourragere may be awarded by the French Government when a unit has been cited twice for award of the French Croix de Guerre. When a unit is cited twice for the Croix de Guerre, the colors of the fourragere are red and green. When a unit is cited four times, the colors of the fourragere are yellow and green. Award of the fourragere is not automatic and requires a decree by the French Government, and persons who were only in one action are not authorized to wear the fourragere. When a unit was cited only one time for award of the French Croix de Guerre there was no individual device, medal, or ribbon authorized for wear by members of the unit. c. The qualification badge is awarded to indicate the degree – Expert, Sharpshooter, and Marksman – in which an individual qualified in a prescribed record course. An appropriate bar is furnished to denote each weapon with which the individual qualified. DISCUSSION: 1. The FSM served in the European Theater of Operations from 14 July 1944 to 1 January 1946. 2. It is unclear which unit he was assigned to between 14 July 1944 and the time he was assigned or transferred to the 71st Replacement Battalion. However, based on the information in his WD AGO Form 53-55, it appears that his unit of assignment during this period was cited for campaign participation for the Northern France Campaign and the Distinguished Unit Citation during the period of his assignment. 3. He was assigned to the Company H, 315th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division from 16 October 1944 to 25 September 1945. During this period of his assignment: a. His unit was cited for participating in the Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, and Rhineland campaigns; however, the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign is not listed on his WD AGO Form 53-55. Additionally, his unit was awarded occupation credit for Germany and general orders cited his unit for award of the French Fourragere on two occasions. b. General Order Number 53, dated 1950, cited his unit for award of the French Fourragere during the periods 19 June-27 August 1944 and 21-24 November 1944. However, the FSM was not assigned to this unit during both periods identified in the general orders. Army Regulation 600-8-22 states a unit must be cited for the French Fourragere on two occasions to receive this award and persons who were only in one action are not authorized to wear the fourragere. 4. The evidence does not show that he participated in five campaigns. 5. He was assigned to the 407th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division from 25 September 1945 to 5 December 1945. His unit was not cited for campaign participation during this period of his assignment but was awarded occupation credit for Germany. 6. He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division from 5 December 1945 to 22 January 1946. This unit was not cited for campaign participation, unit awards, or occupation credit during the period of his assignment. 7. The available records are void of documentation showing the weapons qualifications the FSM achieved during his active duty service. In the absence of such documentation, there is no evidentiary basis for correcting the FSM's WD AGO Form 53-55 to show any additional marksmanship qualification badges. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20150013402 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20150013402 6 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2