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Looking for info 2nd Infantry Division

Discussion in 'Military Service Records & Genealogical Research' started by VET76, Feb 4, 2011.

  1. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    I have a question for anyone that can help me. I am not sure what this uniform is supposed to look like. What kind of lapels would have been on my grandpas uniform that I posted? Also what kind of stripes? He was a PFC I know that is a single chevron, but would it have been gold on a black background? or a brownish color on a black background? Any help you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.

    Would they have looked like this for PFC in WWII?
    [​IMG]
     
  2. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    [​IMG]
    These are the lapel pins he would have worn on the upper part of the lapel. The crossed rifles indicate infantry.

    As for his rank, check this website for the proper type .Second World War Era.
     
  3. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Russo,
    You wouldnt know of a good place to pick up a set of the lapel pins would you? Just thought I would start getting some of the stuff I know he would have had on his uniform back on it. I have been checking ebay, and have not found a cross rifles lapel.

    Thanks
     
  4. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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  5. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    How about this, Jeff?
    [​IMG]

    1
    Distinctive Unit Insignia/Unit Crests [SIZE=+1] 8[/SIZE] Service Ribbons of Decorations and Medals [SIZE=+1]2[/SIZE] Grade/Rank Insignia [SIZE=+1] 9[/SIZE] Second Skill Badge and Marksmanship Badges [SIZE=+1]3[/SIZE] U.S. Insignia [SIZE=+1]10[/SIZE] Unit awards [SIZE=+1]4[/SIZE] Branch Insignia [SIZE=+1]11[/SIZE] Service/Enlistment Stripes [SIZE=+1]5[/SIZE] Current Parent Unit [SIZE=+1]12[/SIZE] Overseas Service Bars [SIZE=+1]6[/SIZE] Former Overseas Wartime Parent Unit [SIZE=+1]13[/SIZE] Officer Braid [SIZE=+1]7[/SIZE] Single Skill Badge [SIZE=+1]14[/SIZE] World War I Wound Strips

    I can't line up the numbers properly, but you should be able to figure it out.

    Jeff, I think we're talking about the same placement, I just called it the upper part of the lapel. To me, a collar is on a shirt.
     
  6. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Just purchased rank insignias for my grandfathers uniform. Working on getting Lapel (collar) pins. Does anybody know if the Distinctive Unit Badge would have been worn on my Grandfathers uniform I posted? And if yes, anybody know where I can get a couple of these?

    [​IMG]

    Where these commonly worn on uniforms in this era? I found some for sale, but they are "brand new" would much rather have WWII era badges. Once again thank you so much for giving me a helping hand I truly do appreciate it.

    **Note, just noticed in the picture of the Company nobody is wearing the DUI so that tells me that I will not put it on the uniform. Trying to make it like it was not something it never was.

    P.S. I looked at the "questionable" ribbon today, and the middle stripe is most definitely yellow, its faded but definitely yellow, confirming its a VFW ribbon.
     
  7. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    VET76 likes this.
  8. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Got some more good stuff.

    [​IMG]

    Can anyone tell me anything about this certificate? Does it say Coal Passer? Didnt know that these guys had to be "certified" for a certain position aboard ship while traveling. He has a book as well called a "continuous discharge" booklet or something like that I will try to post a photo of it tomorrow.
     
  9. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Discharge paperwork, would greatly appreciate any info anyone can give me from this piece of paper. Thank you in advance.

    Matt

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Sorry, was somewhat in a hurry last night when I posted these. I have a bunch of cool documents, but they are harder to post on this board. I took them to staples to have them scanned and this document was done in a form that COST $$ so it worked easy. Struggling with the others. Anyway a lot of info on this paperwork is pretty self explanatory but I do have some questions.

    Box----question
    #5---AUS? Does this mean drafted? I was quite certain he enlisted........
    #30---What exactly was an Ammunition Handler 504? Is it really as simple as he carried ammo?
    #33---What does "GO 5 9th Inf -143? Same with the purple heart GO 15 62nd General Hospital -144?
    #40----Convienience of the Govt, RR 1-1 (demobilization), AR 615-365, 15 Dec 44

    And Finally Anything you can tell me about the medals I understand most but particularly "Lapel button issued"? What is that? What is an "overseas service bar"? Oh and does his EAME service medal there is a (1) behind it does this mean 1 battle star?

    Again thank you everyone your knowledge is really appreciated, excited to read over the information you can provide.
     
  10. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    It's his Merchant Marine certification the same as a Naval rate. It means that he had completed his apprenticeship and was qualified to work as a "Coal Passer" on ships of 100 Tons or less. Which I believe would limit him to non ocean going vessels, such as those that traversed the Great Lakes.
    A 'Coal Passer' would be involved with the handling of the coal from the coal bunker to the boiler. It was an intermediate engine room rating.
    Very neat document.

    Edit: I just took a closer look at the Merchant Marine Cert. and it says "100tons and Upward". The document is a certificate to work in the engine room and advance through the engineering rates in the engineering department, much the same as an "Able bodied Seaman"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_seaman
     
  11. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Not to disagree or anything, but doesnt the document say 100tons or upward? Just curious because i think he left for northern Ireland from Illinois. So I think he shipped out from the great lakes, but ended his journey in Northern Ireland. Just curious
     
  12. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    I caught that and already edited it. Working from my wife's laptop and my thumbs keep getting in the way.
     
  13. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Late in the war, DUIs were not routinely worn
     
  14. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Thank you slipdidget! appreciate the info
     
  15. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    #5---Not necessarily, it means that his enlistment was for the duration of the war plus six months. He may very well have enlisted and those were the conditions of his enlistment.

    #30---That's exactly what it is. He was most likely at an ammunition supply point where his duties would have been the movement of large ammounts of ammunition. Judging by his Merchant Marine Cert as a 'Coal Passer' I would assume he was familiar with load handling equipment such as; fork lifts, hand trucks and cargo dollies not to mention working in explosive environments handling heavy loads.

    #33--- 'GO' is Govermant Order wich basically outlines the authority for the awards.
    The '62d General Hosp' and '9th Inf' are the awarding commands. The '143' & '144' are the War Department Pamphlets wich denote the action for which the award was given. It is most often abbreviated to "GO5 WD144" or similar.

    That's his Honorable discharge lapel button which would be worn on civillian attire. It was a smaller version of the 'Ruptured Duck' which is the Diamond shaped insignia above the right pocket of his uniform coat.

    Those the flat bars, next to the skull, on the sleeve of his uniform coat.

    Yep!
     
  16. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    formerjughead wrote: "The '143' & '144' are the War Department Pamphlets wich denote the action for which the award was given. It is most often abbreviated to "GO5 WD144" or similar."

    So how would I go about obtaining some of those "War Department Pamphlets?" Would this give a better idea of how/where he was wounded? Just want to gather as much info about him as possible.
     
  17. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    They are not that kind of pamphlet. Your best bet to find where he was wounded is located in box #34-Wounds Received where it says "European theatre 19 Jun 44".

    Search gives me this:
    Which leads me to believe he was wounded sometime during the push through Paris. If you 'google' what I have highlighted in bold you might be able to find a correlation between his location and the date he was wounded.
     
    macrusk, VET76 and LRusso216 like this.
  18. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Anybody have anything else about my Grandpas discharge paper work that is interesting or stands out? Just curious, want to make sure I dont miss anything. One question, so next to the purple heart it has June 19th 1944 so this was the date he was wounded right? Not the date that the purple heart was given. Am I correct on this?

    P.S. I noticed that formerjughead answered my question earlier. Am I correct about the date being the date he was wounded and not the date he was awarded the purple heart? Sorry just want to be sure on that.

    Couple more cool pictures, one a certificate from the State of Wisconsin, the second one is a post card sent to my Grandma from my Grandpa in 1945. Thought you guys may enjoy these. Sorry I couldnt get the certificate "turned" the right way.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  19. formerjughead

    formerjughead The Cooler King

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    It's the date he was wounded
     
  20. VET76

    VET76 Member

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    Formerjughead,
    I did some research on Ammo Carrier. I guess a Machine Gun squad consisted of 4 to 5 men. From what I could find the soldiers who were not the "Gunner" or the assistant gunner were labeled "Ammunition Handlers". They carried the ammo for not only their weapon but extra ammo for the Machine Gun as well. I also read that they would typically assign people who were "marksman" to Machine Gun squads because the machine guns were primary targets, when the gunner would reload he needed marksmen covering for them. Have you heard of this?
     

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