Dear Family and Friends,
I don't know if you recall that we ran into a snag when deciding what to put on Al's gravestone: he was generally dismissive of awards but took pride in having earned the CIB with Star. The Combat Infantry Badge signifies having fought in battle on the ground, and the Star signifies two CIB's, two wars. Due to the fire at the Army's Record Center in St. Louis during the 70's, his complete DD 214 (summary of military record) doesn't exist, and we were unable to prove his having earned more than one CIB (the star). Arlington won't put anything on a gravestone unless it's supported by official record. They will, however, correct and replace gravestones.
So I wrote to the Army in September, submitting photos, affidavits, letters of rec, etc., and asking them to correct the record.
Yesterday, 6 months after my request (and a couple of months after they requested his death cert and my appointment as Administrator of his estate, I received an 8 1/2" by 11" envelope. Nine pages of "Adjudication." It made me cry -- it's an exquisite piece of work. It goes through his entire career, assignment by assignment, and it identifies many instances where he was awarded honors that don't show on his record. Including the 2nd CIB (the STAR!) and including a 2nd Bronze Star. It ends by calling him "this American hero" and directs that his official records be corrected.
Copies will be available for those who'd like to have one!
love,
c
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