WW2 Military Records (1 Viewer)

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Got a response today that they have records for one of my grandfathers. Paying the 70 bucks by credit card and looking forward to surprising my family with it.

That's awesome. Please let us know what you get.

 

[Otis]

Got a response today that they have records for one of my grandfathers. Paying the 70 bucks by credit card and looking forward to surprising my family with it.

That's awesome. Please let us know what you get.

Will do Thanks for getting this thread going, gents, and for all the great info.

As to my other grandfather, they couldn't find anything and asked for more info a couple months ago and I just never got to it. I may try again depending on what comes from this one.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Got a response today that they have records for one of my grandfathers. Paying the 70 bucks by credit card and looking forward to surprising my family with it.

Awesome and great timing on Memorial Day weekend. Looking forward to hearing more about him if/when you share on here.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Get your package in Oats?

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Did some snooping.

According to dates from your NARA reference above, looks like most likely your grandfather went right from basic training to Gaudalcanal (Americal landed there in Oct 1942). Americal Division fought mostly in the Phillipines (Gaudalcanal, Leyte). These guys were very badass.

If I have more spare time, I'll try to do some more digging.

Hey Bronk,

1- Do you have any idea where I could find my grandfathers final discharge papers? I've written NARA multiple times and all I get is the fire response.

2- I still can't find anything to confirm which specific division he was attached to. As you've already noted, it was one of these three (bolded the most likely after sorting ~40% of the letters I have.):

164th - landed on Guadalcanal Oct.13, 42

132nd - Landed on Guadalcanal Dec. 8th, 42

Later went to Bourgainville

182nd - Landed on Guadalcanal Nov .12th, 42

Also went to Bourgainville

I've got to find out which regiment he was in before I can put all the pieces together.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Awesome thread. No idea how I missed this before. After reading Worm's thread, I clicked over to hear, hopped online to look at the NARA's website and gave my dad a call.

Turns out, my grandma does have some of my grandpa's medals and his discharge papers, but not much else. My dad is going to submit a records request and see what else is they may have. 

My grandfather spoke to me about his service in the Navy during WWII only a couple of times I can remember and only with small details that had little to do with the actual war. I know he started serving on subs but grew almost a foot in his first year and was too tall to serve on a sub anymore. I know he was borderline in age when he signed up as well.

The only other detail I really know is from my parents and it's that he was some sort of landing boat driver in the South Pacific at some point. If that really was the case, I can totally understand why he never talked about it. Driving other young men to their deaths had to be horrible.

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Awesome thread. No idea how I missed this before. After reading Worm's thread, I clicked over to hear, hopped online to look at the NARA's website and gave my dad a call.

Turns out, my grandma does have some of my grandpa's medals and his discharge papers, but not much else. My dad is going to submit a records request and see what else is they may have. 

My grandfather spoke to me about his service in the Navy during WWII only a couple of times I can remember and only with small details that had little to do with the actual war. I know he started serving on subs but grew almost a foot in his first year and was too tall to serve on a sub anymore. I know he was borderline in age when he signed up as well.

The only other detail I really know is from my parents and it's that he was some sort of landing boat driver in the South Pacific at some point. If that really was the case, I can totally understand why he never talked about it. Driving other young men to their deaths had to be horrible.

I was able to find, through my research, that my uncle (deceased) with in the Coast Guard on LST 20 in the pacific during WW2.  Unfortunately most of these old relics found their way onto the scrap heap, so there is no ship to explore.  But from knowing the actual ship he was on and from his military records I got from my aunt, I was able to piece together a very good military history for him. He saw some bad ####, even aboard ship, from just figuring out his "known" areas of conflict.  I'm sure there were places that were also classified he was associated with as well.

I've done this type of research for all three of my uncles from WW2 and my cousin that was 82nd Airborne, 504th PIR (parachute infantry regiment), who participated in the Waal River Crossing (watch "A Bridge Too Far" for the story) and went MIA near the German border in Holland. Even though several of his fellow troopers have been recover, he never has been.  In my research I have connected with several Dutch researchers that know everything about my cousin's military career, even the exact location where he supposedly went MIA or was KIA.  I have never had the means to travel there, but I have provided all this information to my cousin's immediate nephew and he has taken several trips to Holland, to visit that spot and to visit the Grave of the Missing, where his uncle's name is forever etched with many the others who perished in Holland. I have also connected with my cousin's commanding officer at the time (He's 95 years old, still kicking, but not jumping anymore). It was very cool to be able to get his first hand account of what happened.  He has also written a book, which lists my cousin in it.

All this has provided my cousin's nephew and his family a welcome sense of closure, as he never knew what really happened to him.  I also put together all my information on a website I dedicated to my cousin. 

LINK

It has also been very interesting and rewarding to me in being able to put these puzzles togethr and provide closure to the rest of my family members who had family member participate in conflicts,some who didn't come back.

Good Luck!!

 

[beer 30]

Fix your link Freak, i was jonesing for some paratrooper knowledge

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Fix your link Freak, i was jonesing for some paratrooper knowledge

freakin Freewebs..ya, I need to move that stuff that to a better and more permanent host site.  

 

[PIK95]

Just saw a distant relative who died in Vietnam at 19 y/o.  Oof. 

I do see my gramps, even though he lied about his age.  Not seeing Korea though.  He was there also.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Got a response today that they have records for one of my grandfathers. Paying the 70 bucks by credit card and looking forward to surprising my family with it.

That's awesome. Please let us know what you get.

Will do Thanks for getting this thread going, gents, and for all the great info.

As to my other grandfather, they couldn't find anything and asked for more info a couple months ago and I just never got to it. I may try again depending on what comes from this one.

Well? We're Waiting!....

/Judge Smails

 

[Skipdog77]

I got my Grandfather's WWII records last year from the National Archives. You have to know his birth date, given name and where he was born IIRC to get the records. There is a cost, think it was like $75.

Looks like you have all the information you need right there. Fill out the archives paperwork and send it in and they send it pretty quick. You'll want the full record, my Grandfather's had more than 400 pages of fascinating information.

I would love to do this for my grandfather's records. The selectable list of available next of kin who can request only has spouses, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters available though. Do you remember what you selected?