! Anyone know Samuel John Vincenzo

[annmarie0205]

Hi...my grandfather was Samuel John Vincenzo. I have been told he served in the 106th Infantry Division but now I am not sure. I found a service record and all it really said was that he was a warrant officer. He enlisted in December 28, 1942. Any info would be great...Thanks in advance.

[connie]

Hi,

First, it is important to know that the information you have always heard probably should be given the greatest weight. If you have been told that your grandfather was in the 106th Infantry Division, this is most likely the case. Hold that thought while you search for more information.

A little frustration comes during the rest of the search if you have no other information. I tried step one in the research instructions on this message board & came up with the same information you have. (If you hit this electronic search, I presume you now also possess his serial #, place of enlistment, year of birth, etc. in addition to the fact that he was a Warrant Officer.) From this point your next step through written channels is the mail in request for records that suggested in step 2: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=research&action=display&thread=98
This could yield the initial reply about a records fire. But Carl's advice is to persist. With additional information they can sometimes find off site records.

Meanwhile, if you took the route of scrolling down the 106th Roster on the Indiana Military site, all the way to V, as I tried this AM, your efforts were not rewarded. Please don't let this discourage you. There were no division rosters sitting in some archives. Jim West has spent years painstakingly piecing together the roster from any source he can lay hands on. It is an amazing compilation. But not being on this list does not mean that a person was not in the division. You may become the source of information on your grandfather's presence in the division.

Are there any other clues saved somewhere? If there is a letter from your grandfather, it won't give the division number, but the battalion or regiment number will be there. That will tell the rest of the story. If there's a uniform with the Division's Golden Lion Patch on it, that would also be telling.

Anyone else have other search suggestions?

Good luck! Please keep us posted on your progress.

Connie

[roger]

I would add the additional question....does the service record to which you are referring the WD AGO 53-55? If so, Box # 6 does not have anything typed in? Or, do you have his Honorable Discharge paper? Are there any clues or references in his papers regarding what unit he served in....which might be able to be tracked back to a specific Division? AND, as I have discovered, many small town newspapers gave daily updates on "Our Boys in Service"...you might find some reference to him there if you know the dates of his service.

Roger

[connie]

Your grandfather was a good looking young man! Thanks for sharing the photo.

That circular patch at the top of his arm certainly looks like it is the golden lion. Check out the patch in the banner at the top of this website. Then look at that one. Granted, it is a partial side view in black and white, but it looks like a candidate for a lion.

Maybe others who have seen other patches can weigh in on this.

Do you know any more of his wartime story?

Connie

[Carl W.]

The patch is definitely a Golden Lion. He is actually wearing it as a ombat patch on his left sleeve as the picture is inverted. Have you tried getting his full record from the National Archives?

Carl

[roger]

Carl

So.....educate me about left and right shoulder patches??? I was aware that combat patches are "subdued" and non-combat are in full color (I think I am correct on that), but was not aware that the shoulder on which the patch is worn is different depending on combat/non-combat status.

Maybe this thread should be elsewhere, just move it and I will find it.

Thanks....Roger

Roger

(Also see notes by Carl under Research Corner/ How to Read a Uniform:
106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=research&action=display&thread=252
Connie)

[annmarie0205]

Sept 21, 2009 11:42:52 GMT -5 Carl W. said:

The patch is definitely a Golden Lion. He is actually wearing it as a ombat patch on his left sleeve as the picture is inverted. Have you tried getting his full record from the National Archives?

Carl

No I have not yet..That is on my list for this week.

[Carl W.]

Roger

We'll continue the patch topic here and keep this thread for info on Samuel Vincenzo.

@ AnnMarie: I noticed that your grandfather is wearing T/4 chevrons on his blouse in the photo. A T/4 is the Army rank of technician 4th grade. They were often referred to as sergeant, as they wore three stripes with a T and had the same pay.

Service Record Samuel J Vincenzo
The "Branch Immaterial - Warrants officers USA" does not necessarily mean he was a Warrants officer. It is a general cathegory meaning that your grandfather was not assigned to a specific branch. For example, he may not have been assigned to a specific branch of service; that means they could assign him to Signal Corps or Quartermaster Corps or Corps of Engineers or Infantry, etc.

If you request your grandfathers records from the National Archives they will give you an insight in his wartime service, unless his records were destroyed in the 1973 fire at the NPRC in St Louis.

Carl

[connie]

There is some activity and excitement surrounding this post today.

One family member's post in the Cub combined with this post to yield some results.

I know personally the adrenaline high that comes with locating someone who knew a loved one.

I hope that when there's time to breathe the family will give us a tiny glimpse at what's happening and perhaps a link to updated posts about Samuel John Vincenzo on Jim West's site.

Connecting is a long shot, but when it happens it is amazing!

Best wishes to all involved!

Connie

[jayjay]

Hi, My name is Jay-Jay Vincenzo St George. Ann Marie is my niece. My father died 3/29/2006. I did not know until his death that he was in the 106th division , and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. I read it in his obituary, that HE had written. I had asked him so many times what he did in the military, and all I was told was that he processed the German POW's. I started an INTERNET search shortly after his death, and came up empty handed until I found Jim West, earlier this year. I had Dads picture in my life always,on the coffee table as a kid, and for the first time after talking to Jim, I looked at shoulder patch and knew that he was in the 106th division I saw the Golden Lion .I also knew that he was a SGT. I emailed Jim, and sent Dads picture(and yes, Connie, my Daddy was a great looking man!!) and he said it looked like it to him. Jim told me that he would enter my D ad into his roster, as well as put his obituary on the web site. I have poured over this wonderful site for hours, bugging Jim with so many questions.I have read until I fell asleep at the computer. I printed the stories and purchased books, I had to know. I too was in the military, as a reservist for 8 years. And a SGT, I trained at Fort Jackson, and still, Daddy never told me what he did. Jim published my request for anyone who knew my Dad in the 106th magazine. The day before I saw the email from Connie, telling me that Ben had known my Dad, I said to my husband that there must be no hits. Ben Bing and my Dad knew each other as youngsters. We talked on the phone and i was and still am giddy with joy! He not only knew my Daddy, but knew him WELL!! He told me that 12 young men, including Dad and Ben, enlisted 12/26/42, together. I am so overwhelmed with pride. I am so grateful to Jim and all of you who have replied to Ann Marie postings. Thank you Jim, Connie, and Ben. Ben told me that there are 4 other men that know my Dad, and are still living. He will contact each one when he arrives back home, and I hope to hear from each one. These men were in the 106th with him, so I am really looking forward to any contact.I always knew my Daddy was quite a man, and I feel like I have had Christmas in Sept. The gift of a part of my Dads history. I am so proud of all the men and women who have served and serve now in the US military. I count myself honored to have been able to serve my country in my capacity.
Thank You again, everyone!!
Jay-Jay St George
PS> My fathers brother Dominick Vincenzo served in the 30th Div. He received the Silver Star. He is immortalized on this Web Site.

[jayjay]

I failed to mention that I have requested his discharge papers. This will provide another tangible piece of his history. I read the posting about the fire, yikes..I hope they were not destroyed.