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64TH AAA Gun Battalion

Discussion in 'Military Service Records & Genealogical Research' started by ezra38, Oct 10, 2010.

  1. ezra38

    ezra38 recruit

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    Hi all hope you can help my father served from Feb-1943 to Sept-1945 in the Philippines his discharge paper's has him as a heavy machine gunner 205 with the 64 AAA Gun Battalion my problem i can not find any thing on the 64Th. his paper's say armor service=cac componet =avs his seperation was at camp atterbury,In Dec-1945 but that's all i know any help would be welcome thank's :)
     
  2. Spartanroller

    Spartanroller Ace

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    Hi and welcome to the forum :)

    This is all I could find so far, hope it helps;

    from;

    ARMY GROUND FORCES

    "64th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Semimobile)
    Source: "World War II Order of Battle", Shelby L. Stanton, 1984
    Formed: 12 Dec 43, Ft. Shafter, Hawaii (1st BN, 64th CA)
    Inactivated: 20 May 46, Guam.
    Locations: Hawaii 1943; Guam 10 Sep 44; Guam Aug 45.
    Campaigns: Western Pacific"

    They are listed on page 13 in here;

    http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/Finding_Aids/PDFs/US_Army_Unit_Records_Index.pdf

    which may help if you get to detailed research at some point

    Also one reference to an APO in Hawaii for early 1944, which might help;

    U.S. Army Postal Service, A.P.O. 958 3-14-1944 Fort Shafter, Oahu, Hawaii 64th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion.
     
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  3. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I find nothing else in my books, either.
     
  4. ezra38

    ezra38 recruit

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    Thank you for all y'alls help i've looked every where and it's like it was a ghost unit or something Haha.
     
  5. Missy

    Missy recruit

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    My grandfather served in the 64th AAA Gun Battalion from Jan. 42 to Sept. 45. He was a height finder observer 692. Most of his time of service was in Guam. His place of separation was Camp Blanding, FL. I too have had difficulty finding any information on this unit.
     
  6. larryviglizzo

    larryviglizzo New Member

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    My Dad served in this unit. He would talk a lot about it. Here's some of his story.
    My Dad's name was Lawrence Charles Viglizzo. He went by Larry. Born and raised in San Francisco Ca. After basic training, he was transferred to Hawaii where he spent 6 months at Scofield barracks receiving his jungle training and 90mm gun training. The 90mm was considered a good gun, but he said the german 88mm was the best. It took them 27days by troop carrier to reach Guam from Hawaii. They zig zagged back and forth at 9 knots to avoid being torpedoed. The convey could only travel as fast as the slowest ship. The 64th went in on landing crafts. The landing crafts would circle the ship until they were all loaded then head in. This made everyone really seasick, he often talked about how hard they bounced. The 64th went in after the Marines secured the beach. Not sure how long after. They did not take direct fire but were under constant sniper attack. The 64th was used as fire support for the marines. I believe he said they could set the gun up ready to fire in about 10 minutes. He always called it "the gun". First order was to secure and build the airstrip for the Vaunted B29's. They sleep in 2man pup tents for six months. Later in larger tents built over a wood frame. My Dad was a meat cutter so they made him the cook. There were 167 men in the 64th. My dad cooked for all of them 3 meals a day, 7 days a week for the 27 months he was there. He had 1 helper for 4 hours and sometimes somebody who was in trouble. He was an unbelievable worker till the day he died. He would often pick up 2 eggs in each hand and crack them, he could crack 12 eggs in seconds. His job on the gun was fuse cutter and loader, although they trained on all the different positions. The airstrip was 2 miles long. The 64th manned 4 guns at each corner of the airfield, a total of 16 guns. It took 9 guys to fire the gun well. They could fire 15 rounds a minute for up to 20 minutes. Each of the 4 gun positions also had a water cooled Quad 50caliber machine gun to protect them from strafing. My Dad said they never fired at any attacking planes. They tracked Japanese reconnaissance planes but weren't allowed to fire in order to not give up their positions. The 64th went out on patrols and did nighttime guard duty to protect the airstrip. On guard duty he said they could hear the Japanese talking in the jungle. 3 rapid fire shots was the signal of an attack. He said guys would often fire into the jungle at nite. Patrol duty was by far the hardest task. My Dad talked about some army regulars from Oklahoma. They were tough and mean and very good soldiers. He said the oakies "would hunt the japs like deer"
    waiting for them by the banana fields. The wounded japs would point to their heads to be shoot. The oakies would oblige them and laugh. My dad said he didn't see much action but what he saw made him sick. He sent home a jap rifle and bayonet from one of these patrols. They would have to search the jap bodies for papers, maps etc. My dad said they would find pictures of their families and this would make him sad because he knew they would never see each other again.
    The B29s took off from Guam to bomb Japan 200 at time. He said it was quite a sight. They lumbered down the 2 mile airstrip only raising off the surface at the last second, they were so loaded with fuel and bombs. Circling above to assemble their formations and off to Japan. The US fighter pilots used to buzz the field so low you could see their faces. Another of their jobs was to retrieve the dead and wounded off the bombers. He said some of the planes were so shot up it was hard to believe they made it back. Guys were torn in half from enemy fire. He said when they drafted you then you were in till the war was over. He was on guam for 27 months. They expedited his trip home because his dad was dying. He made it home the day after his fathers funeral. A couple of interesting things. He did not take a warm shower the duration of his 27 months on Guam. they usually sponge bathed out of a bucket or crude shower. They were given all the chocolate and cigarettes they wanted. and 1 beer a week. Guys would sell them for 1 dollar. It was considered to dangerous for female nurses, so the 64th did not see a female for their entire stay. My dad married my mom 6 months after returning, I often kidded him she must have looked pretty good! She was a beauty, lived about 6 houses down on his block in the Excelsior District of San Francisco. Hope my dad's story blesses someone, and gives you insight into your relatives time in this unit.
    God Bless
     
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