ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


	
	BOARD DATE:  2 March 2020

	DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20190012977


APPLICANT REQUESTS:  correction of his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United 
States Report of Transfer or Discharge) to show award of the Air Medal.

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD:  

*	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record), dated 1 July 2019
*	Witness Statement, dated 3 October 1967
*	unidentified newspaper article, "Colonel's Snoring Helped," undated 
*	Air Medal Certificate, dated 4 November 1967
*	DD Form 214 

FACTS:

1.  The applicant did not file within the three year time frame provided in Title 10, 
U.S. Code (USC), section 1552(b); however, the Army Board for Correction of Military 
Records (ABCMR) conducted a substantive review of this case and determined it is in 
the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file. 

2.  The applicant states he was awarded the Air Medal.

3.  On 27 December 1965, the applicant enlisted in the Regular Army in the rank/grade 
of private/E-1. 

4.  He completed training and he was awarded military occupational specialty 
(MOS) 65N20 (Turbo Helicopter Mechanic). 

5.  He served in Vietnam during the period 20 July 1966 through on or about 
21 February 1968.  While in Vietnam, he participated in three campaigns while serving 
as a helicopter mechanic and assigned to Battery E, 82nd Artillery Regiment, 
1st Calvary Division (Airmobile).



6.  Item 39 (Awards, Decorations, and Campaigns) of his DA Form 20 (Enlisted 
Qualification Record) shows he was awarded or authorized the – 

*	Vietnam Service Medal
*	National Defense Service Medal
*	Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960) 
*	Army Commendation Medal
*	three overseas bars

7.  He provided copies of:

	a.  an unidentified witness statement, dated 3 October 1967, wherein the writer 
indicated the applicant was the crew chief and he was shot down over Chu Lai, 
Vietnam, in a helicopter.  The crew had left Tam Ky and was on their way to Landing 
Zone Baldy.  The helicopter was hit while answering a distress call from a downed 
helicopter from the 101st Airborne Brigade.  A .50 caliber round hit behind where the 
applicant was seated and through the engine cooler and landed on his duffle bag.  The 
engine lost oil and froze.  The helicopter crash landed in a rice field while another 
helicopter landed beside them after running out of fuel.  They set up a perimeter, 
surrounded by the enemy.  They were rescued 14 hours later.

	b.  a copy of his Air Medal Certificate, dated 4 November 1967, that shows the 
medal was awarded for "heroism while participating in aerial flight on 3 October 1967 in 
the Republic of Vietnam."

	c.  an unidentified news article, "Colonel's Snoring Helped," undated, which reports 
on two down helicopters in Vietnam.

8.  Review of the Awards and Decorations Computer-Assisted Retrieval System 
(ADCARS), an index of general orders issued during the Vietnam era between 1965 
and 1973 maintained by the Awards and Decorations Branch of the U.S. Army Human 
Resources Command, failed to reveal any orders for award of the Air Medal pertaining 
to the applicant.

9.  On 16 December 1968, he was honorably released from active duty.  His 
DD Form 214 shows in:

	a.  item 22c (Foreign and or Sea Service) – U.S. Army Pacific, 1 year, 7 months, and 
2 days,

	b.  item 23 (Specialty Number and Title) – 67N20, Turbo Helicopter Mechanic, and

	c.  item 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations, and 
Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) –

*	National Defense Service Medal
*	Army Commendation Medal
*	Vietnam Service Medal
*	Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960)
*	Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar (M16)
*	Letter of Commendation

10.  His available records are void of orders and any evidence he was awarded the Air 
Medal.

11.  His records are void of any derogatory information or evidence of a commander's 
disqualification for award of the Army Good Conduct Medal (1st Award) for the period 
27 December 1965 through 16 December 1968.

BOARD DISCUSSION:

1.  The Board carefully considered the applicant’s request, supporting documents and 
evidence in the records.  The Board considered the applicant’s statement, his record of 
service to include his service in Vietnam, his MOS and unit of assignment, and the 
awards shown on his separation documents.  The Board considered the witness 
statement provided, a newspaper article and the Air Medal certificate referencing events 
of 3 October 1967.  The Board noted the signatory on the Air Medal certificate was the 
Commanding General, 1St Cavalry Division during the date of the award.  The Board 
considered the absence of orders showing award of the Air Medal; the Board further 
considered the applicant’s conduct and efficiency ratings and the absence of derogatory 
information that would preclude award of the Army Good Conduct Medal.  Based on a 
preponderance of evidence, the Board determined that a correction of the applicant’s 
record was appropriate.  The Board concurred with the corrections stated in the 
Administrative Note(s) below.

2.  After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found that 
relief was warranted.
 



BOARD VOTE:

Mbr 1	Mbr 2	Mbr 3

: X	:X	:X	GRANT FULL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT FORMAL HEARING

:	:	:	DENY APPLICATION


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:

-	Awarding the Air Medal for the applicant’s actions on 3 October 1967;
-	Awarding the applicant an Army Good Conduct Medal, and;
-	Amending the DD Form 214 for the period ending 16 December 1968 by 
adding to item 24 (Decorations, Badges…) – “AM” and “AGCM” and the 
awards stated in the Administrative Note(s) that follow.



	  
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.

ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE(S):

The applicant was awarded or authorized the following awards not listed on his 
DD Form 214:

*	three bronze service stars to his previously-issued Vietnam Service Medal
*	Meritorious Unit Commendation (2nd Award)
*	Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation 




REFERENCES:

1.  Title 10, USC, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military 
records must be filed within three years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice.  
This provision of law also allows the ABCMR to excuse an applicant's failure to timely 
file within the three-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in 
the interest of justice to do so.

2.  U.S. Army Vietnam Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided guidelines 
for award of the Air Medal and defined terms and provided guidelines for the award 
based upon the number and types of missions or hours 

	a.  Twenty-five category I missions (air assault and equally dangerous missions) and 
accrual of a minimum of 25 hours of flight time while engaged in category I missions 
was the standard established for which sustained operations were deemed worthy of 
recognition by an award of the Air Medal.  However, the regulation was clear that these 
guidelines were considered only a departure point.  Combat missions were divided into 
three categories.

		(1)  A category I mission was defined as a mission performed in an assault role in 
which a hostile force was engaged and was characterized by delivery of ordnance 
against the hostile force or delivery of friendly troops or supplies into the immediate 
combat operations area.

		(2)  A category II mission was characterized by support rendered a friendly force 
immediately before, during, or immediately following a combat operation.

		(3)  A category III mission was characterized by support of friendly forces not 
connected with an immediate combat operation but which must have been 
accomplished at altitudes which made the aircraft at times vulnerable to small arms fire 
or under hazardous weather or terrain conditions.

	b.  To be recommended for award of the Air Medal, an individual must have 
completed a minimum of 25 hours category I missions, 50 hours category II missions, or 
100 hours category III missions.  Since various types of missions would have been 
completed in accumulating flight time toward award of an Air Medal for sustained 
operations, different computations would have had to be made to combine category I, II, 
and III flight times and adjust it to a common denominator.

3.  Army Regulation 672-5-1 (Awards), in effect at the time, stated the Army Good 
Conduct Medal (AGCM) was awarded for each 3 years of continuous enlisted active 
Federal military service completed on or after 27 August 1940; for the first award only, 
1 year served entirely during the period 7 December 1941 to 2 March 1946; and, for the 
first award only, upon termination of service on or after 27 June 1950 of less than 
3 years but more than 1 year.  The enlisted person must have had all "excellent" 
conduct and efficiency ratings.  Ratings of "unknown" for portions of the period under 
consideration were not disqualifying.  There must have been no convictions by a court-
martial.  However, there was no right or entitlement to the medal until the immediate 
commander made a positive recommendation for its award and until the awarding 
authority announced the award in general orders.

4.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation 
Credit Register), in effect at the time, listed the awards received by units serving in 
Vietnam.  This pamphlet shows Battery E, 82nd Artillery, was cited for award of the:

	a.  the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the period 1 November 1966 to 30 April 
1967 by Department of the Army General Order (DAGO) Number 17, dated 1968, and 
for the period 1 May 1967 to 28 February 1969 by DAGO 36, dated 1970, and

	b.  Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation for the period 
9 August 1965 to 19 May 1969 by DAGO Number 59, dated 1969.

	c.  one bronze service star is authorized for the Vietnam Service Medal for each 
campaign for combat service within the territorial limits for Vietnam and adjacent waters.

//NOTHING FOLLOWS//


ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)	 AR20190012977
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