I have researched and documented my father's experiences with the 419th "Moose" Squadron in WWII and my wife's grandfather's experiences in the Canadian Army in WWI and Merchant Marine in WWII. I am currently researching my daughter-in-law's grandfather who was with the 1st battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Able Company) in WWII. I found his enlistment papers online but am a bit confused thinking it is not his original enlistment but a second enlistment after the war. I am trying to determine what is meant by the term of enlistment field that says Enlistment for the Panama Canal Department. The year of enlistment is 1945. His is listed on the 506th webpage as a member during WWII. I read that over 80% of the Army service records were destroyed in a fire and am wondering if it is going to be possible to determine his service information. His name is Melvin Eugene Willard from Kentucky. Like may young men he lied about his age to enlist for WWII. I look forward to reaching out to the forum whenever I have questions concerning the war. Thank you, Larry
Welcome to the forum Larry. Members of the military stationed in the Canal Zone were part of the "Panama Canal Department" . It appears a condition of his re-enlisting was to be sent to the Canal Zone in Panama. You should try to get his records from NARA you may just be in for a suprise. Requesting Copies of Military Personnel Records Try reading through this thread--it has a lot of suggestions to try. Most returning personnel recorded their separation papers at the local court house in case the original was lost--if you know his hometown you may be able to get a copy. Good luck, Dave
Hi Larry. Welcome to the forum. My first suggestion was going to be the same as Buten's. You never know what you will get from NARA. Meantime, post what you can and we'll try to help.
Welcome, Larry! Glad to have you on the Forum. It is true that approximately 80% of the Army personnel records were destroyed in a fire in 1973. However, do not let that dissuade you from requesting your father's records. There were some records that were not completely destroyed and there was an effort to recreate some of the records. If you think about it, 1 in 5 are better odds than you'd get playing the lottery. Buten's other suggestion regarding checking with the county is a good idea. However, I would suggest contacting the local VA office that serves the city/county in which he lived after leaving the Army. They should be able to help you.
Thank you all for your warm welcome and sage advice. I will certainly take advantage of the information that you have given me and will not hesitate to ask more questions as my quest continues. Larry
Wanted to give everyone an update. Thanks to your input I was able to get Melvin's separation records from the KY Military Records Department. Unfortunately they only had his second enlistment in Nov. 1945 but not his original enlistment which, from his prior service time, I have calculated to be Dec. 13, 1943. Don Straith has been an AMAZING resource, answering all my questions. I am still looking for the missing service information. Thanks again for your help. Larry
