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Understanding Dad's information

Discussion in 'Military Service Records & Genealogical Research' started by Raymond Jr, Feb 11, 2015.

  1. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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    I do. Actually about an hour away, the other end of town.
     
  2. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    See a private message from me? Upper right hand of the screen, red envelope-looking button.
     
  3. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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  4. andrwoo

    andrwoo New Member

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    Ok. I think I got it this time. Fully colorized. That patch was a pain in the butt. Let me know what you think. It's ok to be critical or suggest changes. I have the layer file saved so at this point it will be easy to change colors and such. Was quite fun doing it. This is my first full colorized photo.

    [​IMG]
     
    Slipdigit likes this.
  5. Smiley 2.0

    Smiley 2.0 Smiles

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    Wow you do do a good job at this andrwoo!
     
  6. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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    That's pretty remarkable, andrwoo. Like I said, I've tried doing things like that in GIMP (Photoshop-like free software) and can't get anything like your results. I know you don't just select an area and fill it with a new color. It has to do with shading and other features of the fill. If you're familiar with the Garmin GPS systems, you know there are icons for various vehicles you can use on the display. So you can change the little blue car icon to a red truck or a green airplane or whatever. People have drawn lots of those icons and you can download them from various sites. And there are various methods for changing that red Porsche to orange, etc. But trying to change the color of one of those icons is tedious to say the least. Each icon includes 72 images of the vehicle rotated at 10 degree intervals, one large set and one small set. The system uses those rotated icons to change the position of the vehicle oriented on the map as you drive. I own a Pontiac Solstice. It's a yellow car with a black convertible top. Garmin actually has a hard top sports car in gray that's very close to a Solstice so I figured how hard can it be to select the various areas and change them to yellow and black. Pretty hard, it turns out. The icon looked like splotches of solid yellow and solid black. No shading, no reflection, no depth. Needless to say, I still have a gray icon on my Garmin.

    That's a long way of saying I appreciate the expertise required to do what you can do. Thank you. I think it looks great.
     
  7. andrwoo

    andrwoo New Member

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    Your welcome. And thanks for the compliments. I shall walk around with a slightly larger head than normal today.
     
  8. adambhoy

    adambhoy Member

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    I think Stanton is a main reason why I ever appear to be smart, IF I ever do--but somehow I doubt it! ;o)
     
  9. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    Stanton is a great resource, no doubt. I got mine cheap, but as I look now they have gotten quite dear.
     
  10. adambhoy

    adambhoy Member

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    Absolutely. I got mine used for around $40 I think. It's pretty ratty but the information is of course all that matters. Great resource indeed.
     
  11. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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    I just checked Amazon: $66.67. There are a few used copies on ebay but my library has a copy on hold for me to pickup next week. :clap:
     
  12. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    I've seen it as low as $20. It's worth having your own copy.
     
  13. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Also, another good Army reference is the Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register. You can find it if you search through Google and it is available on PDF format.

    If you cannot find the combat unit there, it probably didn't really exist, Get the July 1961 version. It was the last and most complete.
     
  14. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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    Today I got a copy of Dad's unit photograph. It's in a cheap frame which is too large for it and needs to be replaced with something more respectable. How do you copy a 24x16 photograph? I'd like to have a digital copy to work with.

    It says "Battery "D" 549th AAA Auto Wpns Bn.(Mbl) October 1943." and there he is, first guy in the top row, Pfc.Raymond G.Weston. It's "signed" "Photo By Waid & Slater Boston" That would probably place them at Camp Edwards, MA.

    Now the question is the patches worn on the left shoulder by most of the men in the picture. It's AA in a circle. That seems to be a generic AntiAircraft patch for any and all AAA units. Is that true? I don't think the 549th had a patch of their own and would wear the patch of a larger division when attached. I'm assuming the AA patch was temporary until they got attached to someone. Some of the guys, including my father, do not appear to be wearing anything on their left shoulder. Newcomers, perhaps?
     
  15. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    If you can the picture in section, Microsoft has a FREE program that will stitch it back together for you. Let me get back home and I'll tell you the name of, as I a drawing a blank on it right now but have it install on my desktop PC.

    Edit. ICE. Image Composition Editor or aome thing like that. Drag the scans into the window and it puts them together for you. I've used it a good bit, easy to use and most importantly, free.
     
  16. andrwoo

    andrwoo New Member

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    You have two options.

    1. Take your photo to a print shop. They have large flatbed scanners and they can scan it for you.
    2. With your smaller scanner at home. When you scan sections of the picture, make sure you have large overlaps. Then in photoshop you can merge them together. When you scan with your scanner make sure the glass is clean. Put your scanner on the highest resolution you can in the settings. And also scan to .tif file.

    If you go the route of scanning at home I can help you out. Send me the part scans and I can blend it back together for you.
     
  17. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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    Yeah, taking it to a FedEx/Kinkos shop sounds like a good idea as long as they can make a good copy. I thought about setting up a camera on a tripod and taking a picture of it (which is about they'll do, I imagine) but I'd rather let someone with better lighting and the right equipment try it first.
     
  18. andrwoo

    andrwoo New Member

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    Don't take it somewhere where all they will do is take a photo of it. Whether professional or not. Find a print shop that has a large format scanner. You will get much much better results for cheaper price than a photographer.
     
  19. Raymond Jr

    Raymond Jr Member

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    I've now made two trips to the NPRC and plan to go there again next week. I've been accumulating morning reports, rosters and payroll information and I've found where Dad joined the 549th AAA AW BN and where he was transferred out. I need help understanding what the entries mean so I know where to look next. Some of the microfilm records are not easy to read, so please use your better judgement if any of this sounds slightly wrong.

    The May 1943 payroll for the 549th includes an entry that says (typed) that Dad
    and the following is hand printed at the end:
    I'm most interested in that first sentence. Can anyone tell me exactly what it means?

    The October 16, 1945 Morning Report for the 549th includes Dad on a list of enlisted men who were

    Again, what does that mean?

    I've still not accounted for his time in the Communication Zone Advanced Sector (see earlier photograph) which must have occurred after October 16, 1945 nor his position with 323 Harbor Craft which appears on his final payment work sheet.

    As always, thanks for helping me sort this out.
     
  20. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

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    Here's my attempt at the first part. I was stuck on a couple of points, but I'm sure someone else will know them.

    "Transferred in grade from Ft Leavenworth Kansas per paragraph I Special Order 108 Hq Resp Center Ft Leavenworth Kansas Apr 28, 1945. Pay due from date of recall to active duty from Enlisted Reserve Corps (?) Apr 22, 1943. Cl N allotment $6.70 per month from Apr 1, 1945 to indefinite period. Advance CI N deduct(ed) $6.70. Cl S allotment $4.75 per month from May 1, 1945 to indefinite period."
     

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