Docket No: 10040-19  
Ref: Signature Date  
From:Chairman, Board for Correction of Naval Records  
To:  Secretary of the Navy  

Ref: (a) 10 U.S.C. § 1552 
Encl:(1) DD Form 149 (NR20190010040) 

1.  Pursuant to the provisions of the reference, Petitioner filed enclosure (1) with this Board, requesting that his naval record be corrected to reflect an upgrade to his characterizations of service for his discharges from his time in both the United States Marine Corp and the United States Marine Corps Reserve. 

2.  The Board, consisting of , reviewed Petitioner's allegations of error and injustice on 31 March 2020, and, pursuant to its regulations, determined that the corrective action indicated below should be taken on the available evidence of record.  Documentary material considered by the Board consisted of the enclosures, relevant portions of his naval service records, and applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. 

3.  The Board, having reviewed all the facts of record pertaining to the allegations of error and injustice, finds as follows: 

a.  Before applying to this Board, all administrative remedies available under existing law and regulations within the Department of the Navy were exhausted. 

b.  Although enclosure (1) was not filed in a timely manner, it is in the interest of justice to waive the statute of limitations and review the application on its merits.  

c.  Petitioner enlisted in the Marine Corps and began a period of active duty on 31 March 1953.  Petitioner served on active duty until 24 March 1955, when he was released from active duty in the Marine Corps with a general characterization of service.  Petitioner’s naval record indicates that he subsequently joined the Marine Corps Reserve.  Petitioner states that he was discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1957 and received a general characterization of service.  Petitioner’s available naval service record contains very little information about his service in the Marine Corps and does not reflect his discharge documents from the Marine Corps Reserve. 

d. Following Petitioner’s discharge from the Marine Corps Reserve, he affiliated with the United States Air Force.  On 1 October 1976, after over 20 years of active service, Petitioner retired from the Air Force in the grade of captain and received an honorable discharge. 

e.  Petitioner requests an upgrade to his discharge characterizations from both his active duty service and reserve service in the Marine Corps.  Specifically, Petitioner requests upgrades from general to honorable for his active duty service ending on 24 March 1955 and his reserve service ending in 1957. 

CONCLUSION: 

The Board considered Petitioner’s request for upgrades to both his Marine Corps active duty discharge and his Marine Corps Reserve discharge.  The Board reviewed Petitioner’s available Naval record and noted that the general discharge for both periods of enlistment in the Marine Corps do not appear to have been issued in error.  Nonetheless, the Board considered that Petitioner devoted his professional career to military service and earned an honorable retirement from the Air Force after more than 20 years of active service.  In consideration of Petitioner’s achievements after his separation from the Marine Corps, the Board found that Petitioner’s general discharges should be upgraded to honorable as a matter of justice.  

The Board noted that Petitioner’s naval records are sparse and do not contain complete information pertaining to his Marine Corps service. However, the Board found that the absence of such records does not appear to be the fault of the Petitioner, and that the limited information should not preclude correction of his record. 

In view of the above, the Board directs the following corrective action. 

RECOMMENDATION: 
That Petitioner be issued an updated DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty to reflect that he was discharged from a period of active duty in the Marine Corps on 24 March 1955, and that he received an honorable characterization of service. 

That Petitioner’s discharge documents pertainingto his 1957 separation from the Marine Corps 

Reserve reflect that he received an honorable characterization of service. 

That a copy of this report of proceedings be filed in Petitioner’s naval record. 

That, upon request, the Department of Veterans Affairs be informed that Petitioner's application was received by the Board on 21 October 2019. 

4.  It is certified that a quorum was present at the Board’s review and deliberations, and that the foregoing is a true and complete record of the Board’s proceedings in the above-entitled matter. 

5.  Pursuant to the delegation of authority set out in Section 6(e) of the revised Procedures of the Board for Correction of Naval Records (32 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 723.6(e)), and having assured compliance with its provisions, it is hereby announced that the foregoing corrective action, taken under the authority of the reference, has been approved by the Board on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy. 



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