PFC James C Hanson- History search

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Wow I am in awe of the site, so much information that can help someone so let me say thanks. I recently received some of my dad's army items pictures, dd 214, awards and such. Any way I saw his enlistment papers that had him assigned to the 106th Infantry. But I found a v-mail that had his "address" as 817th Ord Base Depot Co in 1943 but then found another letter with his "address" Co D 118 Inf APO 513 in 1945. I was wondering if many of the soldiers were attached out and how I can find out information on those units. Unlike my paperwork when I retired in 1999 from the Army all my units were listed. I just wanted to know about those units and medical information but couldn't find anything out. If anyone could point me in the right direction I would be very grateful.
Thank you,
Ruth

[floydragsdale]

Hello Ruth:

Question! Was 106th Infantry a Infantry Regiment, or Infantry 106th Division?

This may or may not help you. There was an Army APO located at Reims, France in 1945. Also, there was a U.S. Army Base located near Reims, France that was called Camp Baltimore.

Camp Baltimore was a place where U.S. Army Troops were being processed for shipment directly to the Pacific Theater of operations in July & Part of August 1945.

When Japan surrendered the 14th of August 1945 U.S. Troops that were there (Camp Baltimore) during that time were assigned to other Army Units in Europe.

If your Dad was in an Ordinance outfit in 1943, that would have been prior to his being assigned to the 106th Infantry Division. If he was in the 106th Infantry Division, it is very likely he was transferred to to that Division in July or August 1944.

Hopefully, this will give you a start with your problem.

Lastly, I served with in the 424th Regiment of the 106th Division from late August 1944 to August 1945.

Floyd

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Floyd,
Thank you so much for the info. On his discharge papers it said 106th Inf Div. I didn't realize that there were two different entities.

I just found another letter that he sent home with his "hair" guess his first shave from the Army and it was dated 1943 from texarkana texas with the 817th Ordinance base depot and O.U.T.C. on it , so you are probably right in saying he was that first then the 106th and lastly the 118th? I guess I need to research the Camp Baltimore and see if I can see if the 118th was there.
The information has been very helpful and I so appreciate it. I also want to thank you for your service.

[floydragsdale]

Hello Ruth:

Thanks for your speedy reply.

There were three Infantry Regiments to an Infantry Division. The Regiments of the 106th Infantry Division were the 422nd, 423rd, and 424th Regiment.

In the early days (12/17/44 of the Battle of the Bulge, the 106th Division lost the 422nd & 423rd Regiments. The men of those two Regiments became surrounded and were taken as P.O.W.’s by the German Army.

When the War in Europe ended the Soldiers of those two Regiments did not return to the 106th Infantry Division.

Therefore, I believe that your Father was with the 424th Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division. The 424th Regiment was pulled off the front lines in March 1944 & sent to St. Quentin, France and then to Renne, France in the Brittany, Peninsula. While the 424th Regiment was there , in a special ceremony, the 106th Division was reconstituted; that is to say the Division was brought up to full strength with brand new 422nd & 423rd Regiments.

Then on or about mid April, the 106th Division, at full strength, was shipped back up to the front lines. The last week of April 1945 German Soldiers were surrendering to the America Army by the tens of thousands.

At this point the 106th Division was given the task of guarding, and eventually (After VE Day) discharging 910,000 German P.O.W’s.

The latter part of August 1945, the 106th Division (at least the 424th Regiment )was sent to Camp Lucky Strike, in France for processing to be shipped to the States. While there many of the men of the 424th Regiment were sent to Camp Baltimore for reassignment to other Army units. I was one of those men and quite possibly you Father was one of those men also.

One more thought; D Company of the 118th Regiment was probably a heavy weapons Company. Thus your Dead was either with a Heavy Machine Gun Section or a Mortar Section.

Floyd

P.S. I remember my 1st haircut in the Army. The Barber asked me if I wanted to keep my sideburns & I replied yes. Then he promptly cut them off & dropped them in my lap.

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Floyd,
I guess back in the day the Army (nothing unusual) had to make things hard. I would have thought that if he was enlisted as a Infantry person in one of the Regiments it would have showed somewhere on his paperwork but I couldn't find anything. And if he was in a Infantry division/regiment I was confused on why his company was 817th Ord base depot and there is nothing out there that I could find on that particular unit.

I am going to see if I can find out anything on the 424th and what units were with them. I do know that he was overseas starting in Sept of 1943 and was back in the US in Dec 1945. He apparently was involved in Normandy, Northern France, and Central Europe according to his paperwork.

I again want to thank you so much for your insight and if I find out more I will update you. Also my Dad was PFC James C Hanson. I think he was better known as "shorty" for he was only 5'3.

Being ex-military I wish when he was alive (he passed in 1991 while I was deployed to Somilia) about his experiences. I do know that he really did not want to talk about it. My mom once told me that he was claustrophobic because at one point he was held in a hole that he had to dig himself but had gotten free at some point. Again I could not find anything on his paperwork that said that. I also had been told he received a purple heart when he had been hurt (my mom said he really didn't want to talk about that) when he was being treated someone came around and handed them out to everyone in the medical area that had been hurt. When I was going through his stuff I did find a purple ribbon and a picture of him with his back covered in bandages. I asked my mom about the medal and box and she thought that he had given to his mother and when she passed for some reason his sister had taken that but the ribbon for his uniform was with his others.

It is so sad to me that many people have forgotten what the men and women serving in the military have gone through to make this country great. My son is now in the Army and I would love to pass on some of this information to him as well.

P.S. I had to laugh out loud about your first haircut! Hope you grew them back after you got out!

[floydragsdale]

Hello Ruth:

Thanks again for your speedy reply.

There are additional ways to help with your questions regarding your Dad's WWII Record. Yet, more information about him would be helpful.

The name Hanson is a rather common surname, thus it would help to know when and where was he born & when did he pass away and where? Also his Army serial number.

The description of your Dad's back wounds sounds as though he was wounded by shrapnel from an artillery missal or maybe a mortar shell. An injury like that was quite common with an infantry soldier.

In fact, during WWII an Infantry Soldier had a ninety to ninety-five percent chance of being K.I.A., wounded, taken Prisoner of War, or going to a Hospital with a disease of some sort. It was a very risky occupation. We were not informed of those statistics while we were in Basic Training. Life on the front lines was very primitive, to the least.

Pardon me for getting so carried away; I simply cannot forget those days.

One more thing. For the past nine years I've been giving talks to school kids about WWII. I speak for about 15 minutes; that's all the preacher gets on Sunday mornings; then I answer questions until the bell rings.

The students are not afraid to ask me anything and I never leave a question unanswered. Although on kid asked, "How many Germans did you kill." My reply to him was, "I don't know and I don't want to know!"

Floyd

[connie]

Ruth,
Out of easy communication for a few days but enjoying your exchange with Floyd. Hope to be able to join in discussion soon.

One quick question: are there any saved letters home ? Return address during time with 106th would give unit...

Connie

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Floyd,

Again many thanks for all your insight and information. The more I read about the war the more it makes me so proud of everyone that was a part of it. I cannot imagine how hard it was to be in that type of situation with no real understanding of what it entailed (especially with most of the soldiers being so young to boot).

As for my dad’s info his name was James C. Hanson Jr., born 17 July 1924 in Decatur IL, and passed 1990 in St. Petersburg FL. His service number was 36481717. I did run that number on the us national archive & records admin but it really didn’t give any more info that I already had. I did try to research the 424th Regiment but really didn’t get anywhere. Also I figured since it seemed like his paperwork said the 106th but letters had the 817th Ord base depot that he got attached to them somehow maybe as an infantry person and they didn’t keep records of him because he was in the 106th, then maybe when the 817th was maybe done with what they were tasked to do he somehow got attached to the 118th Inf and again they really didn’t keep records because he really wasn’t part of that unit. I really don’t have much to go on except the two letters I had and his enlistment/discharge that really only had the 106th Inf Div as his unit.

One picture I have of him was a very basic with no unit items on it like they do when you are in basic training. Then I found another which had him with a patch that I researched and found it to be Blue Star on white, on red –– WWII Army Service Forces
it also looked like he had ordinance insigna not infantry although I did see that he had a Combat Infantry Badge along with the 106th patch, so again very confusing as to really what was what!

I think it is wonderful that you speak to children about the war they should understand what others did for them and if they didn’t how much different the world would be today.

Again thank you so much for helping me on my quest to better understand a piece of history.

Ruth

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Connie,
No didn't find any letters except the two that showed in 43 the 817th Ord base depot company that was on a v-mail and one in 1945 with his return address as the 118th Inf with reg air mail postage on it. His sister I believe took most of his stuff from the army that he had given to his mother and the letters she kept from him and when she passed unexpected her husband (not my uncle) had moved on quickly and I will never know what may have happened to those items

[connie]

Ruth,

Sad to learn of lost letters when there is a family member interested. I hope they still exist somewhere and were not destroyed. The other day when searching for something else I noted with sadness that there were letters home for sale on e-bay. But I realize now that it was good that whoever was cleaning house in this case did not destroy the letters... It gives hope that someone could find them again.

In answer to your question about people being in other units before and after the 106th, yes, both scenarios were common.

In the "other unit before" the 106th Infantry Division Scenario, the most common happened in spring & summer of 1944. Those with the division from its onset or early days had completed maneuvers in Tennessee in Jan-Mar of 1944 & moved next to Camp Atterbury in Indiana. They expected to be here only a short time before shipping out somewhere. But D-Day happened in June of 1944. Before and after that invasion of the continent the 106th Infantry Division was plundered for replacement personnel needed in other divisions. The 106th then had to be refilled with new men to the tune of over 7,000 men. There were also men added to the division during their time overseas. These were men who were reassigned from other units as individuals. (also see Before the 106th under Unit Specific Discussions: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unit&action=display&thread=641 )

Attached units are still anothr story. Since you have found 106th Infantry Division listed on paper work, it sounds like your father was reassigned to the 106th Infantry Division like the men mentioned above, and not a part of an attached unit. (there were many attached units, too. Under Unit Specific Discussions you can find a discussion that results in a pretty complete list of units that were an organic part of the division as well as units that were attached to the division at some time: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unit&action=display&thread=544 )

The scenario of going on to another unit after the 106th was again common. Floyd can attest to this. Many soldiers who did not have the accumulated points needed to head back to the states were assigned to other units. If your father's return date was December of 1945, this would have been the case with him during his 118th Infantry assignment. (also see After the 106th in Unit Specific Discussions: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unit&action=display&thread=633 )

Connie

PS. Floyd and others may have other suggestions. Hometown newspapers are sometimes a good source of info. If you can access archives from a hometown newspaper around the date of his return home you may find his whole military history there.

I am a little hazier on other requirements, but I think someone mentioned that documents may have been filed on return in home county courthouse. Is this right, Floyd?

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Connie,

Thank you for the links to check so far no luck as of yet.

Also never thought to look on ebay for letters and such I will have to start checking that out.

If I do find anything I will be sure to share.

Ruth

[connie]

Ruth,

Please do let us know if you find anything. Locating the letters on e-bay would be a needle in the haystack find, but stranger things have happened...

AFTER 106th- Meanwhile, in your search for info on the unit in the ETO your father was in AFTER his time with the 106th, I came up with a link you may already have discovered. There was a 118th Infantry Regiment which began with but was permanently detached from the 30th Division. According to this account they were in the ETO until January 1946. So this was a unit he could have been with up until the time he shipped home in Dec of 1945. Here's the link I found: www.30thinfantry.org/unit_history_118.shtml

POINT SYSTEM As I noted earlier, part of the reason many men stayed after the 106th in the ETO was because they had not accumulated enough points to return to the states. If you're not familiar with the point system at this time, there are notes on this board on that subject under Military Questions: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questions&action=display&thread=573

Time with 106th Infantry Division
The fact that your father was assigned to an infantry regiment after his stint with the 106th, would lend weight to the probability that he was also in an infantry regiment when in the 106th, as Floyd noted.

Connie

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Connie,

Again thank you for the information. I am assuming that per Floyd my dad was assigned to the 118th to get "points" to go home. Based on the date of the letter and when he was discharged.

As for the ebay thing I think you are right but it never hurts to keep options open!

Both you and Floyd have been very helpful and maybe if I keep nosing around I may be able to get a little more insight in what my dad did.

Ruth

[floydragsdale]

Hello Ruth:

Thank you for your Dad's Army SN. & birth date & place. I see that he went into the Army in April 1943, Peoria, IL.

Here's some more questions. When did he go overseas and do you know where he was stationed at the time?

My guess is that he was "over there" by Oct, or Nov. of 1943. That gave him plenty of time to be in the Normandy, France Campaign. Now I'm wondering if your Dad was part of the units that made up the "new 422nd & 423rd Regiments" at Renne, France. It's beginning to look as if that may be possible. This is becoming interesting.

Floyd

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Floyd,

According to his papers it says:
20 aug 43 Departure ETO Arrived 4 Sept 43
14 Dec 45 Departure USA Arrived 14 Jan 46
also I found papers on a ship departing Navro France on 14 Dec 45 and arriving in New York on the 14 Jan 46. The ship was USS Enterprise.

In another box of pictures I found an index card in my dad's handwriting a list I think he started and apparently did not finish, the following:

History in the Army

Aug 11 (I assume 1943) Left Texarkana
Aug 13 arrived Newport News VA
Aug 20 left Newport News VA
Aug 25 arrived Newfoundland
Aug 28 left Newfoundland
Sep 4 arrived Liverpool England
Sep 5 left Liverpool England
Sep 5 arrived Plympton, Marshmills
Sep 10 left Plympton, Marshmills
Sep 10 arrived Camp Northway Ashchurch
Sep 10 left Camp Northway Ashchruch

That was all don't know if he kept more but if he did I have no idea where that information might be.

Next time I go to see my mom I am going to see if she has anything more that might help in my quest to figure out this what has now become my mission!

Thanks again,
Ruth

[floydragsdale]

Hi Ruth:

Thanks for the list your Dad made. There may be some good clues there.

The following link, I think, will be of interest to you.

Pastscape - Detailed Result: ASHCHURCH BASE VEHICLE DEPOT
www.pastscape.org.uk › Search‎

Where were your Father's family living when he was discharged from the Army?

Floyd

[upssfcc]

Floyd,

Thanks once again for the links, I had done the Wikipedia thing for most of the information I already had. As for the pastscape I don't know if it really had much to offer or I just was not using it correctly?

Anyway my dad's family lived in Chicago, IL, and I believed was there until their passing I was quite young when they did and really didn't know them. As for his brothers they were not close so tracking them down for possible information would be a very hard thing to do as I don't know much except for their first names.

I also found a v-mail from another soldier to my dad's mother so I am not sure if he was a family friend or someone he made friends with. His name was William Myers ASN 36482966 with the 817th Ord Base Depot Company return.

Other than that I will try and keep searching!

Thanks,
Ruth

[floydragsdale]

Hello Ruth:

Here's more questions!

What part of Chicago, or Subdivision did your Dad's parents line in and where did he (your Dad) live when he left the Army after WWII?

I think he was with the Army Ordenance outfit in England until about Dec. - 1944 - Jan 1945.

At that time, during the B.O.B., the Army was losing about 1,500 men a day on the front lines. Infantry Soldiers (riflemen) were getting scarce. A high-ranking officer told me that Army statistics revealed that they had a division on the front lines, one division going to the hospital, one in the hospital, one coming back from the hospital and one in the grave.

The Army needed replacements for those loses and they searched every outfit in England for Soldiers to replace them. That may be the reason your Dad became a member of the 118th Inf. Regiment.

Anyway it's food for thought.

Floyd

[upssfcc]

Floyd,

My dad was born in Decatur (macon county) IL and I think that is where he and his family were for some time. When he was in the military though he was sending letters to 737 N Oakley in Chicago (I think cook county). I know that Chicago has grown and divided so much since then so not really sure.

I will be visiting my mom the first weekend of June and we have talked about going through some more of my dad's items she has that relate to his military service. I hope this could shed some more light. We did talk a bit yesterday and she said that when he would sleep he would talk. She had told me that on more than several occasions he would talk about being taken prisoner by the Germans. On the lighter side of that she asked him about it and he would only say a little but he did say should have killed all them "darn" Germans....my mom was German so it was kinda of their joke.

Hopefully my trip will give me some more "clues" and will share.

Thanks again so much,
Ruth

[Jim West - Indiana Military Or]

I have added your Father to the 106th Roster, and used all the info I found in the above notes. Please take a look,

creator.zoho.com/jimdwest/106th-infantry-division/#View:th_Infantry_Division_Roster_View

Click on SEARCH and enter his last name in the box underneath NAME.

And let me know if you can add or correct anything. I suggest you email me, IndianaMilitary(use the "at" sign)centurylink.net so that I can get your address. I am currently going thru hundreds of General Orders of the 106th, and many list names and ASNs. I will add your address to my 106th group and then if I find him listed, I will let you know.

Jim West
www.IndianaMilitary.org

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I am doing that right now. I will send you a copy of his paperwork showing the 106th on it. Thank you soooooo much.

Ruth

[connie]

Hi, Ruth,

This is a revised version of yesterday's post, with some new info and some re-thinks added...

The General Orders that Jim is wading through are probably the best hope for something solid about your father's time with the 106th. We'll all wait with fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, I feel in the mood for taking a look at what we do know (and what we think we might know). This summary may take me a number of stabs at posting...

I was thinking that the bottom line was that your dad's time in the 106th was probably sandwiched between the other two assignments you have listed. You noted in reply 4 that "he was overseas starting in Sept of 1943 and was back in the US in Dec 1945." I assumed that time with all 3 outfits would have been included in this overseas span. This could still be true...

But...The thing I powered past in making this assumption about where the 106th fit into this picture was your mention of the 106th Infantry division on enlistment papers. You later mentioned it on discharge papers & I figured the earlier mention of enlistment papers had been a slip. If the 106th Infantry division really was mentioned on enlistment papers, that blows my assumption out of the water...
Then the possibility would again go back to any dates you can find -- including enlistment date. The 106th was activated on March 15, 1943 but soldiers from all over the country began arriving at Ft. Jackson in S.C. on March 8, 1943 to be activated with the division.

With the 817th Ordinance headed to England prior to D-day, it is possible that, if he was assigned to the 106th on enlistment, he was taken from the division and assigned to the 817th Ordinance Depot Company. But that would have been much earlier than most men were plundered from the division. More than 7000 were taken from the division in the summer of 1944. But he would have had to have been taken from the 106th before August of 1943 if the rest of your time line is to fit into a "106th on enlistment papers" scenario.

You puzzled over the possibility of a back and forth into the 106th Infantry Division. I had not heard of anyone taken from the 106th and ending up there again, but stranger things have happened. Your Dad was definitely in the ETO at the time the 106th was hit hard and in need of new men. That men from the 817th could have been taken from their unit and parceled out to units needing them (they seem to disappear) is not outside the realm of possibility. That he could have ended up twice in the 106th is mind-blowing but not utterly impossible. In that case the sequence would have been 106th, 817th, 106th, and 118th (full unit names appearing below.

Time in the 817th Ord Base Depot Co
What is certain is that your dad was with is unit beginning no later than August 1943

You have V-mail dated sometime (??)in 1943 that came from him in this unit.

It's looking like all the dates and places on your little list covered time spent with the 817th Ord Base Depot Co in 1943-1944. After doing some searching, I understand your noting that finding the history of this group isn't easy! You may have the best history of the unit to be found on the web at the moment.
Aug 11 (I assume 1943) Left Texarkana
Aug 13 arrived Newport News VA
Aug 20 left Newport News VA
Aug 25 arrived Newfoundland
Aug 28 left Newfoundland
Sep 4 arrived Liverpool England
Sep 5 left Liverpool England
Sep 5 arrived Plympton, Marshmills
Sep 10 left Plympton, Marshmills
Sep 10 arrived Camp Northway Ashchurch
Sep 10 left Camp Northway Ashchurch

A Google search for the unit yielded some PDF downloads (which I didn't download) with a brief description that included the unit name and mention of Ashchurch. They were titled "Units in UK" in May 1944, June 1944, and D-Day of 44...

Someone inquiring on the 817... on this site: wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_can_you_find_any_information_about_the_817th_Ordnance_Base_Depot_company_in_World_War_2
received this answer: The 817th Ordnance Base Depot Company served in the following campaigns: Normandy and Northern France.
Source: Dept of Army Pamphlet 672-1 "Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register" which was used by commanders to determine who was eligible to wear campaign ribbons from WW2 and Korea.

Another site offers the possibility that the unit headed to Normandy in July of 1944: answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=324627
I had been assuming that this unit remained in England and action was seen when your father was transferred to the 106th, but if this information is accurate, he probably hit the continent months before the 106th did and still with this Ordinance Group.

A request for clarification to the question posted on that site asked if the person posting knew whether their uncle was posted in Texarkana, TX before heading overseas. Your post under reply 2 above states you found a letter with your dad's hair posted from Texarcanna. So I guess you have all the evidence you need that this unit was there and your dad with them.

106th Infantry Division-- REVISED
Whether or not your Dad had a military history (that included the 106th Infantry Division) prior to time spent with the above unit,
he was definitely with them in England LONG before the 106th Infantry hit England in preparation for their heading to the continent. And it appears that, with that ordinance unit, he also may have hit the continent five months ahead of the 106th.

Just when a possible (post ordinance company) move to the 106th Infantry Division occurred is up for grabs until we find more clues. If he saw action with the division, it is likely it happened during the Bulge (Dec./ Jan. 1944-45). It will be interesting to see if Jim West finds that purple heart in the division's General Orders...

As Floyd mentioned, after the worst of the hostilities, the next big influx of men into the 106th was when missing units of the division were reconstituted in April of 1945.

Co D 118 Inf APO 513 in 1945
This looks like the unit he was assigned to after the 106th while biding his time in the ETO and accumulating enough points for discharge. Floyd did this bit. My guess is that this transfer would probably have occurred sometime between VE Day and early fall of 1945. (Do you have a date on the mail from this assignment?)

As you've already discovered, it seems like each new bit of info brings new questions. It will be interesting to hear of new leads you find.

Does this make any sense? Feel free to pick my observations apart. I may have missed a critical clue...

Hope Memorial Day weekend treats you well.

Connie

[upssfcc]

Connie,

I looked over all the items I have again and this is what I can figure which does not seem like much

Based on his timeline getting to England (Sept 1943) he had written at least one letter dated Nov 1943, and his friend wrote one dated 14 Feb 1945 to my grandmother and mention my dad in it. I assume his friend being in the same unit and from Illinois like my father must have wrote to each others family? So I am thinking he was in the unit for most of his time.

The the next that I know for sure is the letter dated 13 Nov 1945 in which it showed his unit being Co D 118th Inf.

Either way it wouldn't of left him much time to be in the 106th yet that is the only unit/division on his paperwork.

He has some paperwork on the 817th Ord Base Depot company being given a meritorious service unit plaque for the date 7 July 1944 - 7 Sept 1944 although it didn't seem to be on his paperwork.

I am going to see my mom next week and hopefully I will be able to find some more information on his service.

All of yours and Floyd's help has really helped and with what I have so far I will be able to share that with my mom and I know that she be happy to get a little more insight into his service.

Thanks again,
Ruth

[upssfcc]

Connie,

I also looked through our posts looking for where I think you said at one point my dad may have been with the 106th during the time they were overseeing German POW's. The reason that now stood out to me is that in some of the pictures and items I have include a German passport German shoulder insignia and medal of some sort, which leads me to believe that may he helped in that effort?

Just trying to piece things together with what I have.

Thanks again,
Ruth

[floydragsdale]

Hello Ruth:

The following words are quoted in your note to connie.
"The the next that I know for sure is the letter dated 13 Nov 1945 in which it showed his unit being Co D 118th Inf.

These words suggest to me that your Father was transferred to the 118th Infantry in August 1945. At that time the 106th, or at least the 424th Regiment of the 106th was at Camp Lucky Strike, France. At that time a number of men in the 424th Regiment were shipped from Camp Lucky Strike, to Camp Baltimore, near Reimes, France. I was one of those men. While at Camp Baltimore, many men who had served with the 424th Regiment were assigned to oher U.S. Army Units. That's what happened to me and that is what probably happened to you Father. His German souvenirs are a good indication that he obtained them while guarding German P.O.W.'s in The Rhine River Valley, sometime in May, June or July or 1945.

Pardon me for butting in, yet I wanted to get my two cents worth in on the exchange of ideas.

[connie]

Ruth,

It was Floyd who mentioned the tending of German POW's as he recounted some division history in the post labeled "reply #3 in the header.

He may also be able to add more about collecting such items. My guess is that it might have been easier to obtain such items earlier during the fighting rather than during the official internment/ release process. But Floyd was there...

In either case, this is one more interesting data point.

When you head home, please greet your mother from those of us on the discussion board and give her our best.

Connie

[upssfcc]

Floyd,

Please feel free to butt in anytime you have been a wealth of knowledge and if not for you and you "thoughts" I might have given up my quest to find out more!

I will keep digging especially this next week when I am able to visit with my mom. I won't be back till the 5th and she does not have internet access so I am printing off most of this to show her.

Again and always thanks to you and all,
Ruth

[upssfcc]

Well in my hopes to dig through some more items of my dad's, things didn't go as planned this weekend. My sister's husband passed away so were were busy doing other things.

I did bring home a briefcase that my mom thought was some more of my dad's army items but it turned out to be items from later in life. It was fun to see all that but I was disappointed in not getting anymore information.

I did however when putting up some of his items find a booklet that was four pages on the history of the 817th Ord Base Depot Company that I assume was given to men who were assigned to the unit but I almost over looked a very faint writing on the back of the last page which had
Hanson
Hq Co 3rd Bn
159 Inf
APO 408?

So now I am to wonder if he was assigned at anytime? So I guess my quest goes on.

Ruth

[connie]

Ruth,
Please know thoughts are with you in this time of family loss...

As for your finds, though you didn't have time to do the digging you wished, that little fading note and its location may be an important discovery. In the sea of unit numbers you've been sifting through you probably haven't had a chance to check out the 159th Infantry Regiment, but it had a history with the 106th. You can find information on that under the Unit Specific Discussions section of the board: 106thdivision.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=unit&action=display&thread=796

Connie

[Jim West - Indiana Military Or]

Thanks. I added that info to his 106th Roster page. Keep us in mind if anything else, no matter how small, comes up. If not recorded, it will be gone forever.

And likewise, my sympathy. We lost our brother-in-law a few years ago.

Jim West
www.IndianaMilitary.org

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