IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 22 August 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160019765 BOARD VOTE: ____x____ ___x___ ____x___ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ 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 August 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160019765 BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by making the following amendments to his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge): a. deleting the entry "none" from item 22c (Foreign Service) and replacing it with the entry "5 months and 16 days"; b. deleting the entry "VN Service NO" from item 30 (Remarks) and replacing it with the entry "Vietnam Service Yes"; and c. adding to item 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) the: * Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze service stars * Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation __________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 August 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160019765 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 requests reconsideration of a denial to correct his records to show service in Vietnam. 2. The applicant states his DD Form 214 does not show his period of service in Vietnam. He needs the correction to receive medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 3. The applicant provides * DA Form 1 (Morning Report), dated 15 August 1972 * Three photos 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 AR20130016901, dated 22 May 2014. 2. The more legible copy of the DA Form 1 appears to be new evidence not previously considered due to the poor quality of the previously submitted copies of the form. This evidence warrants consideration by the Board. 3. The applicant served on active duty from 26 January 1971 through 11 July 1973. 4. During his period of service he was assigned to Company E, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam; however, there is no available records to document when he actually reported to or was reassigned out of that unit. 5. His DD Form 214 shows 2 years of net service with 167 days of lost time. Block 22c (Foreign and/or Sea Service) states none and block 30 (Remarks) includes the statement "VN Service NO". 6. The Board previously denied the applicant's request because the DA Forms 1 he submitted at the time were of such poor quality so as to render most of the entries unreadable. 7. The DA Form 1, provided by the applicant, is also of poor quality but with use of magnification it and the other DA Forms 1 are slightly more readable. They show: a. he arrived in Vietnam on or around 9 February 1972 with assignment to Company E, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment. b. on 25 July 1972, he departed Vietnam on 14 days of ordinary leave. While on leave, he contacted his command through the Red Cross requesting an extension of leave for compassionate reasons. He was subsequently granted a leave extension through 5 August 1972. c. he failed to return to his unit in Vietnam at the end of his leave extension. As a result, his duty status was changed from emergency leave to absent without leave (AWOL), effective 25 July 1972. REFERENCES: 1. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents) prescribes the separation documents that must be prepared for Soldiers on retirement, discharge, release from active duty service, or control of the Active Army. It establishes standardized policy for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214. As then in effect, it stated a mandatory entry showing service in Vietnam, Indochina, and/or Korea was to be entered, at item 30 (Remarks) and marked yes or no. 2. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states the Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all members of the armed forces who served in Vietnam or its contiguous waters or airspace during the period 3 July 1965 through 28 March 1973. A bronze service star is authorized to be worn on the Vietnam Service Medal for each campaign period during which a Soldier served in Vietnam. The applicant participated in the following two campaigns: * Consolidation II, 1 December 1971 - 29 March 1972. * Vietnam CEASE-FIRE, 30 March 1972 - 28 January 1973. 3. Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) lists the unit awards received by units serving in Vietnam. This pamphlet shows that during the period the applicant served with the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment it awarded the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation. DISCUSSION: 1. Service in Vietnam is recognized in three ways on a DD Form 214: a. as an entry at block 22c, (Foreign or Sea Service); b. at block 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized), with one of the specific awards for service in Vietnam; and c. block 30 (Remarks) as the mandatory entry of "Vietnam service yes/no." 2. The DA Forms 1 show a duty assignment in the Vietnam with approximate dates of service as from on or about 9 February 1972 through on or about 24 July 1972, 5 months and 16 days. 3. The block 22c, on the DD Form 214, entry of "none" and the block 30 "Vietnam service no" entry contradict the evidence of service in the Vietnam shown on the DA Forms 1. 4. The applicant is authorize award of the Vietnam Service Medal. Based on his period of service he is shown to have served during two campaign periods and is authorized to wear two bronze service stars on his Vietnam Service Medal. 5. The applicant is also authorized award of the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation. 6. Because the exact duration of his service in Vietnam cannot be determined entitlement to any other awards or decorations for service in Vietnam cannot be determined. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160019765 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160019765 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2