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From: Connie Sheets <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Looking for Military Records on Deceased WWII Veteran
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:58:05 -0700 (PDT)


Alvie L. Davidson CG wrote:

> If this man was released from active service at the end of
> WWII he would only have been given a release and a discharge. There were
> no DD-214's at that time.

While it is true the DD-214 did not exist at the end of WWII, there were precursor forms, such as my father's WD AGO 53-55 issued in 1945. According to the NARA website, "Before January 1, 1950, several similar forms were used by the military services, including the WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD, and the NAVCG 553."

Christopher T. Smithson wrote:

> I found out that he entered the service at Allentown, PA in 1942 and
> served in the 318th Army Infantry of the 80th Divison in Company J. He
> was discharged at Camp Pickett in Virginia in August of 1945.

NARA publishes the following booklet which may be helpful:

http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/ww2-participation.pdf

Do not forget the value of searching for associates. Since you know the military unit, you may be able to find comrades still alive, or at least their close relatives who will have information. Last fall, with the power of the internet and stumbling onto a crew member's uncommon surname, I was able to contact the sister and ex-wife of my father's B-24 pilot, and the son of the radio operator, all of whom were able to provide bits and pieces of information that significantly contributed to my understanding of my father's WW II service. The radio operator's son had more than bits and pieces: a 25 page chronology (with sources no less) giving an almost day-to-day account of their year overseas, including references to my father in his letters home.

Many (if not most?) World War II units have websites or books written about them. While I had fewer associates to find, given that there were usually only 8 men on a B-24 crew, it may still be worth a try. One place to start might be:

http://www.80thdivision.com/WWIIResearch.htm

Good Luck!!

Connie Sheets
Flagstaff, AZ









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