Please access the site below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27th_Special_Operations_Wing

A paragraph describes the following:

The ground echelon of the 27th still in the Philippines was evacuated south from Luzon on 25 December to the Bataan Peninsula, arriving to form the 2nd Battalion (27th Bombardment Group) Provisional Infantry Regiment (Air Corp). For the 99 days following the attack on Pearl Harbor until their surrender to the Japanese after the Battle of Bataan, the men of the 27th BG became the only Air Force unit in history to fight as an infantry regiment, and were the only unit to be taken captive in whole. After surrendering, they were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March. Of the 880 or so Airmen who were taken, less than half survived captivity.

Attempting to determine of those participated in the Battle of the Philippines as an "infantry regiment" were awarded the Combat Infantry Badge? I am familiar with members of tank units that participated in the battle were.

I have been contacted by a Colonel, USAF, Retired requesting my assistance with the process to be awarded medals due, including the Purple Heart for mistreatment while in captivity.

Thank you,

Robert E. Johnson

Hi Robert:

I was completely unaware of this, and so unfortunately I have nothing further at the moment.

An interesting story to say the least, and I'm sure this topic will get plenty of viewership.

Would love to hear from anyone with news regarding this. We look forward to your input.

MY VOTE WILL STILL BE WITH THE,,,, COMBAT ENGINEERS,,, THEY HAD MORE THAN FOUR TIMES IN COMBAT

ZONES AND AT TIMES AHEAD OF THE COMBAT INFANTRY, CLEARING MINES MAKEING RIVER CROSSINGS

ACCESSIBLE. ALL CARRIED WEAPONS. BUT THEY ARE CLASIFIED AS ENGINEERS NOT INFANTRYCOMBAT.

I AM JUST AN OLD DOGFACE WITH OVER 600 DAYS COMBAT AND I THANK THE COMBAT ENGINEER FOR

WHATTHEY DID. DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PACIFIC THEATER AS I WAS IN NO. AFRICA AND ITALY.

PLEASE I AM NOT TAKING AWAY WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND MOSTLY THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH !!

I DON'T THINK THE JAPS WILL EVER SAY, SORRY?? HELL NO------------ROCKY 34TH INF. DIVN.---

The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is an award of the United States Army which is presented to those officers, warrant officers and enlisted soldiers, in the grade of Colonel and below, who participate in active ground combat while assigned as a member of an infantry or special forces unit, brigade or smaller size, during any period subsequent to December 6, 1941.

Specific eligibility requirements

(1) The Combat Infantryman Badge was originally authorized in 1943 for "infantrymen, including officers". By May 1944 the eligibility became more exact: officers and enlisted men of infantry regiments and lower infantry units. AR 600-70 (24 Sep 1951) included men of ranger infantry companies and also officers who, although not of the infantry branch, commanded an infantry unit of regimental or smaller size for at least 30 days. Change 19 of AR 672-5-1, dated 20 Jun 1969, further clarified officer eligibility -- he must be in the grade of colonel or below. Change 19 also defined eligible categories of Vietnam service.

 

(2) A recipient must be personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry or special forces primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy. The unit in question can be of any size smaller than brigade. For example, personnel possessing an infantry MOS in a rifle squad of a cavalry platoon in a cavalry troop would be eligible for award of the CIB. Battle or campaign participation credit alone is not sufficient; the unit must have been in active ground combat with the enemy during the period.

 

(3) Personnel with other than an infantry or special forces MOS are not eligible, regardless of the circumstances. The infantry or special forces SSI or MOS does not necessarily have to be the soldier's primary specialty, as long as the soldier has been properly trained in infantry or special forces tactics, possesses the appropriate skill code, and is serving in that specialty when engaged in active ground combat as described above. Commanders are not authorized to make any exceptions to this policy.

 

(4) Awards will not be made to general officers nor to members of headquarters companies of units larger in size than brigade.

Who may award.

 

(1) Current awards. Current awards of the CIB may be awarded by the Secretary of the Army during wartime or the Commanding General, Army Human Resources Command. Effective 1, November 2006, Commanders delegated authority to award the CIB may further delegate badge award authority to Commanders in the grade of Brigadier general or above. Permanent orders are required.

 

(2) Retroactive awards. Retroactive awards of the Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge and the Combat Medical Badge may be made to fully qualified individuals. Active duty and reserve component soldiers will forward their applications through command channels to U.S. Army Human Resources Command ATTN: AHRC-PDO-PA, 200 Stoval Street Alexandria, VA 22332.

 

Veterans, Individual Ready Reserve members, members of other U.S. services and foreign military personnel should submit a written request directly to U.S. Army Human Resources Command ATTN: AHRC-PDO-PA, 200 Stoval Street Alexandria, VA 22332.

Hopefully, this may be of some help.

Erwin

If their MOS was changed to Infantry as required by CIB regulations and they were in a Provisional Infantry unit I see no problem in them recieving the CIB.

If their MOS was changed to Infantry as required by CIB regulations and they were in a Provisional Infantry unit I see no problem in them recieving the CIB.

I thought it was established in a different thread that Circular 269, dated 27 October 1943 did not require an infantryman's MOS to be eligible for the CIB?

3. Combat Infantry Badge.—Infantrymen, including officers, establish

eligibility to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge by—

Exemplary conduct in action against the enemy, or

By satisfactory performance of duty in action against the enemy in a major operation as determined and announced by the theater commander.

Furthermore, airmen of the regiment were awarded the BSM "for meritorious achievement while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force from 7 Dec. 1941 - 10 May 1942."

Served is the key word...airmen served with the U.S. Army Infantry on Bataan.

Robert

Robersable...

This is the Army's answer to "serving as" infantry, asof about4 months ago. I think the AAF thing is a slap in the face to the Engineers...JMHO

Chris

Oh, and welcome to the site

Sgt. Kermit Lay, left the Horse Cavalry and re-enlisted as Private in the Aviation Ordnance. A month later they were ordered to the Philippines, arriving at Nichols Field 45 days before the outbreak of World War II. On the 8th of December 1941 the Japanese destroyed all the planes on the ground. On 24th of December Gen. MacArthur declared Manila an open city and ordered all troops to Bataan.

Air Corps units were issued Springfield rifles and were named Provisional Air Corps Infantry. Kermit received a battlefield commission as 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry, 25th January, 1942 and has the distinction of being the only private to do so. He made the Bataan Death March and was a prisoner of war for 3-1/2 years.

Kermit retired from the Army as a Captain in 1951. He was awarded and received many medals for his duties while serving his country including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star w/ Cluster, the Purple Heart w/ Cluster, the POW Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the WW II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Philippine Unit Citation, the American Defense Medal w/ Star, the Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal w/ 2 Stars, and many more.

Robert

Continue to discover airman awarded the CIB assigned to the First Provional Air Corps Regiment, II Corps consisting of two battalions of AAF personnel fought in the Battle of the Philippines.

Eager to learn answer to the letter of Major General Truscott Jr. requesting language of Circular #186 include members of the 36th Engineer Combat Regiment.

Robert

Robersabel@aol.com

Sgt. Kermit Lay, left the Horse Cavalry and re-enlisted as Private in the Aviation Ordnance. A month later they were ordered to the Philippines, arriving at Nichols Field 45 days before the outbreak of World War II. On the 8th of December 1941 the Japanese destroyed all the planes on the ground. On 24th of December Gen. MacArthur declared Manila an open city and ordered all troops to Bataan.

 

Air Corps units were issued Springfield rifles and were named Provisional Air Corps Infantry. Kermit received a battlefield commission as 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry, 25th January, 1942 and has the distinction of being the only private to do so. He made the Bataan Death March and was a prisoner of war for 3-1/2 years.

 

Kermit retired from the Army as a Captain in 1951. He was awarded and received many medals for his duties while serving his country including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star w/ Cluster, the Purple Heart w/ Cluster, the POW Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the WW II Victory Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Philippine Unit Citation, the American Defense Medal w/ Star, the Asiatic Pacific Theater Medal w/ 2 Stars, and many more.

 

Robert

That Sgt. Kermit Lay reminds me of Audie Murphy with all those medals. Rocky