Info on Grandfather, Norton Cohen

Hi -

My grandfather served in WWII. After fighting to St. Lo, he joined a soldier show. I'm trying to figure out which tank unit he served in, prior to joining the show. I believe he was a replacement. Here's what I know: he trained as a tank gunner at Fort Knox and Fort Meade. He departed Camp Shanks on May 21, 1944, and arrived in England on June 2. He spent time in a town called Street. He landed on Omaha on June 8, 1944 (D+2). He fought through St. Lo, until in late July (26th?), he was sent off to tank comander training near Isigny. Any ideas you have would be great.

Thanks!

 

Hi Anne ...

Have you tried requesting his records from NARA? If there's a next-of-kin still living (you mom/dad, aunt or uncle, etc.) you can request them through the eVetrecs system.

In all the records I've requested for genealogical purposes, I've found the best thing to do is just request the DD214 and then in the "Notes" box, enter the additional records you would like. I would think entering something like 'assignments and reassignments', 'unit orders', or maybe 'promotion orders' might work. It's better the more specific you are...

Have you searched your grandpa at ancestry or footnotes? Sometimes a newspaper article helps and sometimes ancestry can be helpful too when it comes to military records.

Do you have your grandfather's birthdate? Do you know where he lived? I'd be happy to help if you need it and good luck

 

Hi again Ann...

I know this is a long shot but as there's an enlistment record for a Norton Cohen stating he was an actor and since you say he joined a show, I thought this article MIGHT be talking about your grandfather...

The Time of Their Lives

If that by chance is your grandfather, he seems quite interesting ...