Hello! My name is Alex and I am a college student currently in Rhode Island. Recently I re-watched the Band Of Brothers series and it got me thinking about my grandfather, Thomas C. Eimutis (Could be Eimutus depending on when he changed the spelling). Unfortunately, all I could find were his enlistment records and army serial number. What other kinds of info are a huge help in tracking down this type of information? I have no clue what unit he was in, all my father has told me is he was a veteran at The Bulge and one of the only surviving members in his unit. Apparently he linked up with other allied units because of this (I believe the Canadian army). Any and all help is greatly appreciated! Thank you
Welcome, Alex. First, since you have his name and ASN, you can try requesting his OMPF (Official Military Personnel File) from the NARA. While you are waiting for them to respond, which can take some time, I would suggest you try a genealogical route. I recently helped a relative determine the units in which 2 of his uncles served by checking the newspaper archives at the county historical museum. It was not unusual, especially in smaller communities, for the local newspaper to publish the mailing addresses of local soldiers. The mailing address usually included the Company and Battalion or Regiment of the soldier along with an APO address. This is, of course, not a fool-proof system, so any information should be confirmed via alternate sources. Another thing I usually suggest is to make sure as many older family members as possible know about your interest in your grandfather's WWII service. That can take some time, but I have been doing that for the last few years and I am still getting stuff sent to me by family members. Just a couple weeks ago, one of my mother's relatives provided me copies of V-Mails that my great uncle Glenn sent to one of her immediate family members. It is possible to dig up the information you want, but it does take some commitment of time and energy. But if you are patient and persistent, you may be surprised at what you will find.
