Campaigns and Battles

The campaigns and battles section on the discharge papers says India Burma. Does this mean the person was definitely in both Indian AND Burma, or just that specific theater and possibly only in India OR Burma? Thanks!

 

It was the China-Burma-India Theater, at least to us Yanks, so I'm guessing theater.

 

The discharge papers simply say India Burma. I am familiar with it being called CBI, but I'm pretty ignorant on WWII history and Army documents/lingo. Working on it! So, you think it was just referencing the theater, not necessarily that he was in Burma? I know he was in India... Just not sure about Burma.

 

I have his discharge papers and they just say India Burma in the campaigns/battles section. No other places. But, I do know he was other places as well. They just weren't documented on the discharge papers. I have a military passport that has him in China, Iran, Belem...and a couple other places... Some of his work was not common knowledge, like training rangers and the Chinese Army. Just trying to figure out the campaigns and battle section for now.

 

Although the discharge paper only says India Burma, that may have just been a lazy clerk not using the official name of the Campaign Theater. That section is not intended to indicate the specific places a soldier served. A more accurate way to find out where he served would be to figure out the unit with which he served during the War. If you know where his unit was, it's likely he was also there.

 

Could you post his separation paper? We might be able to help a little more.

 

Not trying to be argumentative, but it actually was called "India Burma" campaign,http://history.army.mil/html/reference/army_flag/ww2_ap.html
But like Lou posted, that just means he was in that campaign, not exactly where he was.

 

Getting it right is not being argumentative.

 

For some reason, I never can get pictures to post. Here is what I know:

John H Kimzey 37 106 810 (enlisted March 14, 1942)
Place of entry: Ind Sta Cp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas
1857th Service Command Unit
Company "H", 357th
Army Ranger training video as tommy gun instructor, Hawaii 1942
Special Passport only shows Nov 1942: Iraq, Trinidad &Tobago, Egypt, China, Iran, Belem/Brazil?
Karachi, Pakistan Hospital with malaria, Christmas 1942
Casual Detachment 8925 B ( Ramgarh Training Center instructor )
Place of separation: Fort Sam Houston, Texas ( October 22, 1945)
Appears to be in Spearhead book picture as a Merrill's Marauder. Not on any known roster.
Edited to add, spent last few months in Texas as MP, train guard
Apparently, he was only in the 1857th and 357th for a few months...

Yes, he does have a star on his Asiatic-Pacific ribbon. What does that mean? Thanks! All his patches appear to be CBI.

 

The US Army was credited with seven "campaigns" in the Asiatic-Pacific Theator ( the Navy had a different list). The India-Burma campaign, the one your father was credited with, was one. For each campaign a service member was credited with, he was eligible to wear a small bronze star on his Asiatic-Pacific ribbon. Now scroll up to Tommy's post. The top display shows Glenn W. Halverson was given credit for the Northern Solomons and Luzon campaigns. Now look at his Asiatic-Pacific ribbon. It has two bronze stars. The bronze arrowhead indicates he was involved in at least one invasion. The lower displays shows Norman Halverson was credited with six campaigns in the European, African, Middle East theater.(one silver star equals five bronze).

 

Sorry Lou, you posted while I was trying to write with the temperamental iPad.

 

Again, I am ignorant on a lot of things, so bear with me. Does campaign mean he literally "saw action" or could he have received the star because he was (definitely) an instructor at Ramgarh, India? Because he switched units (not sure of proper term), I don't know where he was the whole war. He apparently left the group of men he went in with in just a few months. I am not sure what unit he was with to train Rangers in Hawaii. I do know for Ramgarh, he was Casual Detach 8925 B and have read as much as I can find online, which is pretty much limited to a great website on the CBI theater. 8925 B is not listed in his discharge papers. I was hoping, because y'all are more knowledgeable than me, something might jump out at you. Thank you all for your help. I don't even see an icon to add pix anymore. I have tried before, unsuccessfully, (on another post) and had to email them to admin and he posted them.

 

There you go. You worded it better. I was struggling. Mom told me dad was a ranger. I have been unable to document it. That is part of the reason I've been digging. You guys are awesome!

 

If you are not opposed to spending some money, hiring a researcher would probably answer a lot of your questions about where he was and what units he served with. It will be much easier to research his service with that information.

The biggest barrier to posting images is the 500kb size limitation. If you don't know how to downsize images, the easiest way to post them is to sign up with a free image hosting site ( I use Photobucket ). You can upload the image and the website will provide you with a link that you can easily copy and past using the Image Tool (below the smiley face). Using that method does not have the size limit.

 

Unfortunately, I am unable to afford a researcher. However. I have enjoyed learning as I try to do it myself. I appreciate all of you. I am on an IPAD and don't see a smiley face. I will check into resizing the photos. Thanks!

 

Here is a portion of his discharge papers.