Why it Pays to Read the Record Collection Description

A few years ago, I remember searching for my great-grandfather’s World War II draft registration card.  I tried every possible combination I could think of between names, places, and date of birth.  After countless attempts, I gave up and made a note of the search in my database. 

Several months after this, I was working on family in Michigan and was struggling to find the WWII draft cards for these guys.  Then it dawned on me.  My great-grandfather was also living in Michigan at the time and I was unable to find him.  Was this a coincidence?

I was sure it wasn’t a coincidence and figured there had to be a reason, so I looked at the record description that Ancestry has for their WWII draft card collection.  Lo and behold, Michigan was NOT a state that was included in their collection.  Well no wonder I couldn’t find these men…Ancestry didn’t have them!  I made a note of this in my database and added the fact that NARA has the cards in their Chicago facility.

Earlier today, I was checking to see if there were any recently added or updated collections at FamilySearch (I try to do this once a week).  And although the WWII draft cards collection wasn’t new or updated, it occurred to me, why not check to see if they have Michigan.  Ah-ha, they do!  And there was the draft card for my second great-grandfather, right were I expected it to be.

Mind you, FamilySearch has two different collections.  Both collection have images, but one is indexed and the other is not.  Following is a list of the Ancestry and FamilySearch collections and what states they each cover.

Ancestry	FamilySearch (indexed)	FamilySearch (image-only)
Alaska Arkansas* California* Connecticut Delaware Idaho Illinois Indiana* Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York* Ohio* Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia	Arkansas California Connecticut Delaware Indiana Louisiana Maryland Michigan Nevada New Jersey New York (NYC, all 5 boroughs) Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Texas West Virginia Wisconsin	Delaware Illinois Indiana Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New York (NYC, all 5 boroughs) Ohio Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island Vermont West Virginia Wisconsin

*Collection incomplete for these states

It’s also important to note that WWII draft registration cards were destroyed for the following states:

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee

The moral of the story?  Always read the record collection description.  At a minimum it should tell you what the collection covers, the source of the original information, and why the records were created.

Saturday in the Attic – 09/11/10

This week’s find is a War Ration book issued to my great-grandfather, George Rottman.  Based on an interesting article I found, WWII War Ration Books at Genealogy Today, I guess this one, being Book Four, was issued toward the end of 1943.  Below are scanned images of the front, back, and some of the stamps.

Army Dog Tags: A Story & My Discovery

The Story 

I was catching up on my blog reading while waiting for my hair appointment.  I had come across the post Help Find a WW2 Soldier from Illinois over at Olive Tree Genealogy, and just barely started reading it when they called me back for my haircut.  When I got home, I headed to the computer to finish reading the blog post. 

The long and short of the story is someone in Australia found WWII dog tags and was hoping to find living relatives to pass them on to.  Olive Tree Genealogy author Lorine, posted the information found on the tags, along with a photo.  Several people jumped on board to help find a relative, posted their finds in the comments of the blog post.  Someone located and contacted the man’s wife, and it looks like she will be reunited with her late husband’s WWII dog tags.  Be sure to read her post and the comments.

My Discovery

While reading through the comments, someone posted information on what the information on the dog tags meant, specifically, the serial number.  The comment referred to a website that I checked out to see if I could learn more about my grandfather’s WWII history through his dog tags.

I discovered that he was in fact drafted, based on the first number of his serial number (3).  I had suspected this, loosely based on the fact that I could not located enlistment card, and a relative (who’s now in his late 70s) was “pretty sure” he was drafted.  I could not located a draft card because he was too young to be in the fourth batch of draft cards currently available to the public.

The second number refers to the Corps Area or Service Command.  A number of 6 indicates the Sixth Corps Area, which is part of the Second Army Area.  The Sixth Corps Area contains Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

I also came across this website, which explains what the other information is, as well as the reason for the notch on the left side of the tags.  According to my grandfather’s tags, he had a tetanus shot in 1943, had a blood type of O, and I’m assuming the “C” stands for Catholic.

It’s amazing how much information a few lines of text can provide!

Wordless Wednesday – 11/11/09

Saturday in the Attic – 07/11/09

John Ward McMAHON, my great-grandfather, was apparently a temporary member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves in 1945 and possibly participated in World War II.

Below is a Certificate of Enrollment as a Temporary Member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, dated 27 July 1945. 

Below is the enrollment paperwork.

Below is the disenrollment paperwork.  So far, it looks like he enrolled on 27 July 1945 and was disenrolled on 30 September 1945.  None of these papers indicate whether he participated in the war.

Below is a letter to John from the U.S. Coast Guard indicating that he had been awarded the WWII Victory Medal.  This medal was awarded to anyone “who served on active duty, or as a reservist between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.” [wikipedia]

I’m curious to know more so it’s on my list of things to ask my grandaunt (John’s daughter).

Saturday in the Attic – 05/30/09

This is a State of Illinois Service Recognition Certificate that was awarded to my grandfather in 1947 after serving in World War II.

Saturday in the Attic - 03/28/09

This is a scrapbook from my grandfather's time in World War II.

I'm not sure who put it together.  My grandmother liked to do scrapbooks, so it may have been her.  There are many pictures and some articles.  It is in very fragile condition so I haven't combed through it in great detail as of yet.

My grandfather was a bridge builder in the 167th Combat Engineers Battalion Company C and was overseas until after the war ended.  I don't know a lot about his time over there, but it's on my list of things I want to explore.  There is a website that has some great information about this particular Battalion.  I've tried to contact the person who put it together, but have never heard back from him.  The web master is the son of someone who was also in the Battalion, and although he was in Company B, I wonder if he happen to know my grandfather.  I do wish I would have heard back from them...perhaps I'll try for a third time!

Saturday in the Attic - 02/07/09

This small Bible belonged to my grandfather, John Francis CAHILL.  It was given to him before heading off to WWII by his cousin, Tessie, who had helped to raise him after his mom died.

 

 

 

Bisbee, Arizona WWII Memorial

While visiting mom in Arizona for Christmas, we took a day trip to Bisbee, a mining town in Southern Arizona.  I wanted to share with you a beautiful WWII memorial that I found located near the Lavender Pit.

A quick search turned up a news article written in the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Review on 1 May 2008.  Here is an excerpt from the article:

Bisbee resident Nick Pavlovich said another project is to build a monument to Benko in Bisbee to honor his exploits and to recognize 75 other Bisbee area residents who were killed in World War II.

The top of the monument will be dedicated to Benko, and the bottom will list all the names of those killed-in-action from the area, Pavlovich said.

The monument is scheduled to be placed near the overlook to the Lavender Pit. Benko worked as an electrician for a copper mining company in Bisbee.

The remaining four pictures show the top only, the bottom only, and the names that are inscribed on the bottom.  I am not sure what the inscription on the top is; it was hard to read even in person.

 

 

 

My Three GeneaWishes

Dear GeanaSanta,

This year I am asking for some unusual items that relate to my family's history.

1. An original, first-run edition of the Webster's dictionary that my distant cousin Noah Webster produced.
   
2. The desk that my 10th great-granduncle, Robert Treat, used during his time as governor of Connecticut in the late 1600s.
   
3. The medals that were awarded to my grandfather, John Cahill, for serving in WWII.

Yours truly,

Posted for the 62nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

Saturday in the Attic - 11/15/08

I'm going to try a new "column" called Saturday in the Attic, where each week I will post some sort of memento.

I'm kicking this column off with something I wanted to post last week, in honor of what would have been my paternal grandparent's 65th wedding anniversary if they were still with us.

John Francis CAHILL and Joan Garrison McMAHON somehow managed to marry on 6 November 1943, just a few months after John started active duty in WWII.  One year later, they were celebrating their one-year anniversary on each side of the ocean, as John was serving in France.  John sent Joan the following letter dated 6 November 1944.

---

Hi Sweetheart

Being somewhere in France on this day sure is not my and your wish. but no matter where I am I am thinking of you more than ever.  I hope this time next yr I will be home.  as is sure lonesome without you.  one of the boys pick up a stamper with this border on it so I made a little card for you.

Love Jack
or papa

Love from your husband on your 1st yr of marriage

---

Notice that he signs "Jack or papa" at the close of the letter.  He's referring to the fact that Joan is about five month pregnant.  I've had a theory that my dad was one of those "in case I don't come back" pregnancies.  He was born in early March 1945, putting conception likely in early June.  Although John started active duty in June 1943, he remained in the U.S.  He left for Europe on 28 June 1944.  A conception date in early June and his leaving in late June supports my "in case I don't come back" pregnancy theory. 

As an aside, he did return safely in January 1946; they had no other children.

Wordless Wednesday - 09/24/08

Photo of Edward George ROTTMAN in WWII, 1943; privately held by Julie Marie CAHILL Tarr.

Originally posted @ my LiveJournal blog on 24 September 2008.

Julie