The Ticket Out of the ETO...

The Adjusted Service Rating Score (WWII)... a.k.a., "The Points System"

During World War II, the US Army used what was officially called the Adjusted Service Rating Score, but almost all soldiers referred to it as the “points system”. This determined which soldiers were eligible for return to the United States after VE-Day on May 8, 1945. It was designed to be objective and to reward length of service, overseas service, combat, participation, and decorations.

As seen in the Stars & Stripes article above from 11 May 1945, here was the breakdown:

Every soldier in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) would receive....

• 1 point for each month in service. 

• 1 additional point for each month in service overseas (in addition to the points received for each month in service). 

• 5 points for each campaign.

• 5 points for any medal for merit or valor (Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, etc.)

• 5 points if wounded in combat/Purple Hearth (if you had more than one Purple Heart, it was not counted. Only one Purple Heart was counted).

• 12 points for each dependent child (max of 3 or 36 points).

So where did Charles Coolidge stand when his points were counted?

When Coolidge left the ETO in July, 1945 he had accumulated:

• 37 points for each month in service (drafted on 16 June 1942).

• 27 points for overseas duty (started 2 April 1943)

• 35 points for 7 campaigns

• 5 points for his Silver Star earned at Velletri, Italy (he had not received the Bronze Star at this point)
  

This means he had a total of 104 points (*This calculation does not include his Medal of Honor).

So, was Charles Coolidge eligible to go home had he not received the Medal of Honor on 18 June 1945?

Absolutely!

Charles Coolidge would’ve clearly been eligible in the earliest return groups after VE -Day.

Infantry men with multiple campaigns often had between 90 to 110 points. If you had that many points, you were automatically eligible to go home. The "magic number" was 85 points. Soldiers under 85 points were frequently reassigned for occupation duty or prepared for the planned invasion of Japan. The system was imperfect and many soldiers criticized it openly saying that rear echelon troops also received campaign (battle) stars and that front line combat troops should have an

additional advantage given to them. Even with those criticisms, the system did strongly favor all seasoned ETO veterans, especially those like Coolidge, who fought continuously from North Africa through southern France and into Germany and Austria.

So what was the Medal of Honor worth in the point system? You’ll be surprised to find out that it was worth the same as any other valor medal… 5 points. So Coolidge’s total was actually 109 points, but obviously Medal of Honor recipients were treated different once a recommendation for the Medal reached the higher command and appeared likely to be approved. They were usually removed from front line combat to prevent any embarrassment or political fallout if they were killed in battle before the Medal could be awarded and to preserve them for morale, propaganda, and bond tours.