Looking for information on Lucian O. Love

[cajun226]

I am looking for records on my great grandfather. I have one of his ration cards, and in July of 1945 he was with D company, 331st Med. Bn.

[connie]

Good hearing from you!

Welcome to the search. There is so much to discover still, depending on how deeply you want to search. Initially you may have more information to offer than we can provide. But if you're willing to hang in there the dialogue may take you to interesting places.

Don't know how versed in the division and its story you are. I was like a deer in the headlights when I first began looking for info on my father.

I checked the Roster on the Indiana Military site and found that your Great Grandfather's name had not yet made it there. This is an ongoing work in process. Many of the records were lost in the war and Jim West has been painstakingly entering names from every document he runs across. I can help make certain that his name is on that list.

Carl Wouters, a Belgian citizen who has made the 106th his ongoing study and who helps facilitate this discussion board has some tips for research on this board. Using his tips I quickly found Lucian O. Love's enlistment records -- including his serial #. I can help you find this info, too, if you need assistance with that.

If you click on the Site Soldier Index and scroll down you will find a limited listing on the 331st Medical Battalion. Here you can find links to posts on this board related to that unit. Here's a quick link:
106thdivision.proboards.com/post/1444/thread.
I'll add your great grandfather's name there with a link to your post.

Ration cards are something I haven't seen. Could you post one?

You mention July of 45 that he was with the 331st. Do you have info on where he was before that?




Connie

[cajun226]

Hello Connie, thank you for the reply! The only information I have is from the ration card which I will attempt to post pictures of if I can find out how to. I have no clue on his whereabouts before July of 1945, he passed away long before I was born and relatives say that like most veterans he would not talk about the war. I believe his ASN is on the ration card as well. Thank you for arranging for his name to be put on the list. All I know is that supposedly he was an ambulance driver, but don’t know if he had other roles prior or before. I would love to find out any information and I’ll try to post the ration card. Thank you

[connie]

Hi,

It's good to connect. You're right about the not talking about the war much. It was a lifestyle for many. Some said that just thinking about what they had experienced triggered nightmares. Others, I think, encountered a world that was tired of hearing about the war and wanted to move on. Some who opened up later in life did find healing in doing so... if they had understanding listeners. But for those who had been through tough stuff it was not an easy thing to do.

As far as posting the ration card goes, after you hit the "reply" to this message you'll again be given a "create post" form. In the top right hand corner of that form you'll see a place to click to "add attachment." So if you have a photo or a screen shot of the ration card available on your desktop, you should be able to add it.

I'll now contact Jim West and let him know about this conversation and roster addition.

Thinking I'll also re-check those enlistment records and see when Lucian Love enlisted...

Connie

[connie]

Hi,

I'm back again with enlistment record info. I'll try a copy and paste and see if that works:

Field Title Value Meaning
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 35039131
NAME LOVE#LUCIAN#O###########
RESIDENCE: STATE 52 KENTUCKY
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 149 MC LOAN
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 5124 FT BENJAMIN HARRISON INDIANA
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 25
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 02
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 42
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private
GRADE: CODE 8 Private
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION BI# Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
BRANCH: CODE 00 Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
LONGEVITY ### ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
NATIVITY 52 KENTUCKY
YEAR OF BIRTH 18
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
EDUCATION 0 Grammar school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 316 Farm hands, general farms
MARITAL STATUS 2 Married
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)


From this I gather that he was born in 1918 (?) so he would have turned 27 sometime in 1945. The enlistment year is 1942 so he was in service throughout the war. I'm wondering when he joined the ranks of the 106th. I haven't had to track down military records before, but Carl, who helps facilitate this site, has some info on requesting these records posted here under the "Research Corner." Here's a link to that post: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/298/thread

[cajun226]

Ration Card, Front and inside

Attachments:

[cajun226]

Rear of ration card

Attachments:

[cajun226]

I have heard that from my family that he may have potentially also participated in the pacific theater but I have no way of confirming that or even a wild guess of the unit he would have been in if he had served over there as well. I will follow the link you sent me and try to go from there, thank you.

[cajun226]

So since it has been over 62 years since he was discharged, do you know if I have to have next of kin permission, or if I can just send the forms off myself and all of the information be provided to me?

[cajun226]

Sorry for posting so much. Mygreat aunt has a shadow box from some of his stuff from his service, I have a blurry picture I took one day and I can see a few ribbons, I have found one to be a good conduct ribbon, another one I can't find but the other looks to be a Asiatic-Pacific campaign ribbon with a small star on it! There is also a mini good conduct ribbon pin, a regular full sized good conduct ribbon, 2 ruptured duck discharge pins, 2 U.S collar discs, a medical insignia collar disc, and another that looks to be either a field artillery or coastal artillery collar disc. In it is also his war department card and a newspaper clipping of the announcement of the 106th returning to the states in the following month and a few pictures. I will try to get over there as soon as I can and take better pictures of everything if possible.

[connie]

Hi,

No need to apologize for enthusiasm in your search. I love it! The discussion board has been rather quiet lately and it's good to connect with someone who has a real interest in the search. Your posts are fascinating.

I'll contact Carl and see if he can join the discussion. He has more experience with the forms and the ins outs of requesting info. But as great grandson I think it's worth a try. It was a while back that I was interested in seeing if there was more info on my dad. Don't remember whether I used the form Carl sends you to but I probably did. I believe said I was his daughter & no one asked about "next of kin" status. Initially I ran into the wall of records lost in the fire and they asked if I could provide them with more info that could lead them to another source. I told them what I knew and somewhere they found more.

As for the ration card, this is fascinating. I had never seen one of these before. I remember dad noting when he was in England that a soldier was limited to a certain number packages of cigarettes, gum, etc. per week but I didn't think to wonder how they kept track of this.

My father was two years older than your grandfather. He enlisted the year before your grandfather (after the "peacetime draft was instituted). He was sent to OCS after a time in the Pacific and then was sent to the 106th.

I have searched the Combat Medical Awards for your g.g.father's name and haven't found it there. www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/Rosters/REFERENCES/1945-033-CIR-SS-BS-AM/33.htm
It is my belief that all the medics in the division who were with the 106th during their time in the conflict in the ETO were on that list, though I don't know this with absolute certainty. If this is the case, then it's not a stretch to guess that Lucian Love was transferred to the 106th sometime after the conflict in Europe-- possibly after the German surrender. This is all just a guess right now to be confirmed or refuted by real records. But I do know that they began building up the 106th again during that time. I will be eager to know what you learn about units served in before the 106th. Even if he were with the 106th from its onset, with his enlistment date he would have to have served elsewhere, as the 106th did not exist before 1943.

I'm also looking forward to learning more about those ribbons, etc...

Any chance that someone saved letters?

Connie

[Jim West - Indiana Military Or]

I have entered him in the 106th Roster, at

tinyurl.com/106th-Roster

Please take a look and let me know if I can add or change anything.

Thank you and your family for your Great-Grandfather's service.

Jim West

[cajun226]

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone saved letters, the stuff in the display case is all my great aunt says she has as far as insignia and stuff no uniform or anything and nobody took it. She said when he came back from the war life was pretty rough so no telling what happened to his uniform and such. I will post some stuff in shadow box. Thank you Connie and thank you Mr. West for adding him to the roster. One day my great aunt and I are going to try to go to the local library and VFW to see if they can help aid in our search as she is eager to find out what units he served with as well and what he may have went through.

[cajun226]

Photo of him and some insignia and ribbons

Attachments:

[cajun226]

In this picture with the three guys standing together he is the man in the middle, however I don't know if this is during his military service or CCC service.

Attachments:

[cajun226]

Here he is on the right

Attachments:

[cajun226]

His war department id/medical card has a date of November 30, 1944. I don't know he had one before going to Europe and they made him a new one or what. My great aunt said she heard he was in Europe during the battle of the bulge though so I while there are no records to prove it he may still have been over there during that time, supposedly on a bad road he put a large truck or ambulance on it's side due to the bad weather conditions then walked to the nearest camp or base hospital and got another truck and came back and got the wounded and proceeded to take them to the hospital or clearing station whichever it was. I would think there would be at least one record whether it be an after action report, or something with him being in it, but if his unit was constantly on the move to stay away from the Germans maybe they burned all of those records, who knows.

[connie]

Wow! You may be missing some things you would love to have, but you also have some treasures! I sent a note to Carl last night alerting him to your posts. He is a Belgian citizen who has followed and researched the 106th. He and Jim West of the Indiana Military site probably know as much about this division as anyone on earth. Hope Carl will be able to check in soon.

Your confirmation that the family believes he was in the ETO for the Battle of the Bulge is worth a lot. We can look for confirming information.

Sounds as if you and your Great Aunt are checking out some good possible sources. If you can find where copies of local newspapers are kept, they are often a good source of info, announcing a return home and giving info. The knowledge that he probably returned when the bulk of the division did is helpful too. That can lead us to some target dates for looking for newspaper announcements of his return or pending return.

The date of the medical ID card is around the time that 106th Infantry Division troops were moving from the assorted spots they were billeted in the English Midlands to the vessels they used for crossing the English Channel to France.

If your g.g. grandfather traveled to the ETO with the Division, which it sounds like he may have, I believe I can tell you which boat he made the Atlantic Crossing on. To my knowledge, the entire 331st Medical Battalion, along with the Division's Field Artillery and other Special Forces were all on the Wakefield. They were the last of the Division's troops to make the crossing. This vessel took a week to travel from Boston Harbor to Liverpool-- departing Boston on Friday, November 10, 1944 and arriving in Liverpool late in the afternoon of November 17.

Jim West has many of the After Action reports on the Indiana Military Site. in the segment under the 106th. (He is also the founder of this discussion board.) I'll look into what I can find on the 331st and especially on Company D. What you have described sounds like the chaos of The Bulge.

Connie

[cajun226]

Our oldest library in the city keeps most of the newspaper articles, photos, etc. they have an online database for some of the stuff so I will attempt to search there or maybe go in person one day. My great grandmother worked during the war building P-47’s as well and they have pictures of the plant in their database which is pretty cool.

[connie]

Sounds like a great resource... I know my hometown newspaper announced things like people home on leave or returning home from the war and sometimes awards.

I was checking a few things out at the time you replied. The discussion board link to some info on the ship the medical battalion crossed the Atlantic on can be found here: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/416/thread. I noted that it was the Wakefield. This ship, pre-war was an American Cruise ship that was known as the Manhattan.

Thinking about that medical card... I remember that a medic from the division who I was corresponding with (no longer among us) noted that while in England he was issued his medical ID card. So this fits. As medics at that time were not carrying weapons, the Red Cross to be painted on their helmets (atop a white circle) and that ID card were supposed to help afford them the protections provided for under the Geneva Convention. So the date on your g.g.father's card is consistent with the timing my medic friend noted he was issued one... probably dated a few days after the actual issue date. This date goes into the category of further evidence of the fact that Lucian Love was probably with the 106th Infantry Division when they hit the ETO. The issuing of this card while in England was part of the preparation for entering a combat zone in a medical capacity.

Connie

[cajun226]

That sounds to be very logical, I wondered if it was before or after they got to England so knowing that it was probably after they arrived in England is good. My great aunt also said she heard he was in the Aleutian Islands, maybe this has correlation to the coastal artillery collar disc and Asiatic-pacific campaign ribbon? I have yet to find the ribbon to the left of the yellow pacific campaign ribbon with what I believe has a service star on it, the mystery ribbon also appears to have a service star as well.

[cajun226]

I have just found on wikipedia that 2 coastal artillery units were in the Aleutian Islands, the 30th and 40th regiments. I am going to attempt to finder rosters but I am afraid it will be even harder to find those than regular army ones.

[connie]

Please keep us posted on this side search. Many in the 106th were in other units before or after their time with the 106th. It's interesting to know of their journey and of the search for answers. It's good you are looking while there are still some around with a faint memory of where Lucian Love may have been.



Back to Lucian's time with the 106th, There is some unit history on the Indiana Military Site: www.indianamilitary.org/106ID/SoThinkMenu/106thSTART.htm
Scroll down side bar and click on "Unit Information"
Then scroll again to "331st Medical Bn" and click again
Make a final scroll under 331st Medical Bn to "Unit Info" Click and you're there.
If you scroll far enough through this report you will come to a report that is specific to Company D of the 331st Medical Battalion.


Connie

[cajun226]

Thank you, I will have to read about his company sounds like a good read. I am kind of at a standstill at the moment as far as finding the rosters or listings of the coastal artillery units in the Aleutian Islands during the war, I honestly can't even find a listing of all of the units present during the Aleutian Campaign so it'll take me a while to find the units and even longer to attempt to find rosters for them which may be impossible. I also believe he must have had some lay over time too between what I assume was his time in the Pacific and Europe because my great aunt was born in June of 45, so he would obviously had to been home for some period of time.

[connie]

Interesting puzzles and math until you can get your hands on some actual records...

Lucian enlisted in February 1942. There would have been a training period after that before he was sent anywhere.

The 106th Infantry Division was first activated on 15 March 1943. So that is the earliest he could possibly have been linked to the 106th. There were waves of new men added to the 106th before and after VE Day, when the division was stripped of men immediately needed in other units. From our figuring it appears that he was likely with the 106th before they shipped out and arrived in England. The Medical Battalion shipped out on the Wakefield on November 10 1944 from Boston Harbor. For a month or so before that date the Division was at an embarkation camp in Massachusetts--Camp Myles Standish near Taunton, Mass. Before that they were at Camp Atterbury, in Indiana for 6 months or so. And prior to that they spent around 3 months on Maneuvers in Tennessee. Prior to that their original activation were at Camp Jackson in South Carolina. He could have joined up with the 106th at any of these points. But if he made the trip overseas with them I am guessing it is likely that he joined them at least before they left Camp Atterbury.

Time between assignments would be likely. And leave while he was at Atterbury is also quite possible.

Your Great Aunt's birth probably puts him on leave at least for a time in September of 1944.

Don't know much about the Coast Artillery... other than having heard the name. I had a neighbor who was stationed in Alaska and I believe it was in the Coast Artillery. But he is gone now so that's a dead end to anything but my awareness that such an entity existed. I do have one other not too likely source of information I might check out. I wouldn't bank on it yielding anything but who knows...

In the meantime, I hope you are able to apply for his records. That could beat a whole bunch of speculation. Of course it would be a lot more of a sure thing had it not been for that fire... But you're coming up with good clues. There are other places records can be accessed if you have some clues like these. The Coast Artillery in the Aleutian Islands might be something to note there.

Connie

[cajun226]

I am going to apply for the records along with my great aunt whenever she is feeling up to it. I am also in the meantime going to try and research the coastal artillery more and see what I can come up.

[connie]

Good Morning,

Sounds like you have a plan... Please keep up posted on what you discover.

Looking around this discussion board I found a series of posts that may be a slight side interest to you. Someone else here discovered that their 106th Infantry Division family member was in the Coast Artillery (somewhere) before ending up in the 106th. Carl put together the clues: a photo of a gun and some saved items from the uniform.

The following post has links to photos of both these items: 106thdivision.proboards.com/post/1119/thread

[cajun226]

Hi Connie,
I have been very busy lately with school so I have no had any time to conduct much research but the information about somebody else’s family member being in a previous coastal artillery unit is pretty interesting! I’m going to try to continue my research when I can.

[connie]

Looking forward to hearing updates when you learn something new. I went back to review some of your earlier post. This is interesting!

Connie