A quest for information has begun...

[quillhill]

I haven't found out what unit he was with, but I'm hoping I might be able to figure it out. He had a patch on his uniform that had a spade on it plus a number on each side of the spade. It was above his rank insignia.
If I can't figure it out based on that clue, I'm sure the DD 214 will be more exact.
Okay, so he was an E-5, but a Staff Sgt. That's good to know. I'm continuing to look. I'll post if I find out more soon.

[quillhill]

I got this e-mail on Friday, April 21. Hopefully this means I'll get the records before I leave for Germany at the end of next month. Then, that should really get me moving forward.

"Thank you for submitting a request to the National Personnel Records Center.

We have received your signature authorization for request number 1-1521759501.

The majority of these types of requests are serviced in 21 days or less. We
service approximately 20,000 requests each week and are working earnestly and
successfully at reducing our response time. Our goal is to reduce our response
time on these types of requests to ten days or less.

Thank you."

[Stanley Brother]

I hope you get the information before you leave. Just keep praying you can rest assure that all of those who read your request are with you 100%. Marines are all family like no other branch of the service.
God Bless you and Semper Fidelis.

Stan

[quillhill]

Thanks StanleyBrother. I'm excited to learn what I can from the paperwork. I'll only be out of the country for 10 days, 14 at most. The more I learn about the Corps, the more I admire my grandfather for giving eight years to the Marines.
Once I get the info, I'll post. I hope "within 21 days" is true! *crosses fingers*

[quillhill]

I don't have any info on units or billets.

It says rank, PL/SGT. What's that mean?
He did go to recruit training in San Diego and left the service on April 2, 1946.
Org at separation: 1st Sept Co ... what's that mean?
He was honorably discharged ... yay! There was some speculation about that.
It looks like his MOS' were M.P. 677 and Anti-Tank Crewman, 610. Principal military duty: M.P. 677
Service schools attended: Sea School. 8 weeks.
Length of foreign and/or sea service: 2 years, 6 months, 27 days.
Apparently he spent two years at the University of Minnesota before enlisting. Interesting, I didn't know that.

Alright. Gotta do a little bit of research.

Anybody have any insight? I'm sure there's a way to get more information.

[GySgtRet]

Org at separation: 1st Sept Co ... what's that mean? This indicates to me that he was attached to the 1st Marine Division Seperations Company, Camp Pendelton California. Here is the link to that Company http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/base/sepsco/1stsgt.htm

Service schools attended: Sea School. 8 weeks. Usually this was to prepare Marines for duty onboard US Naval vessels and I think was in San Diego California. A link and explaination of USMC Sea School with a history lesson attached to it. http://www.usspennsylvania.com/ArtWells/index.html

I thought that I would go ahead and provide this for you now that you have something to go on. An Honorable Discharge Outstanding Kris.

Well, have a good trek to germany and let us know if you learn anything else.

May your Grandfather Rest in Peace...

[quillhill]

OMG. That's awesome. Off to read those links! Yay yay yay Ed!

[GySgtRet]

Now your like a kid in a candy store. You are Welcome. We have to talk so time on the phone I can call you no problem, of course I would need your number. You sound atleast on the website of somebody with integrity and principles.

[quillhill]

Yeah. I'll send you my cell number in a PM. I still don't know when we're leaving for Germany. My stupid brother in law in the Air Force and...ugh. Thank goodness for my grandfather ... you know he's up there in heaven patrolling the streets like a good Marine M.P.

[GySgtRet]

Sounds good. I am glad that you are enjoying the read. Have fun in Germany. I'll be looking forward to talking to you.

[Old Marine]

When I went through Boot Camp at MCRD, SD, everyone made the 10 mile hike to Camp Matthews for the Rifle Range. They finally did away with Camp Matthews when it got in the way of the freeways they we installing. Used to be you could drive up the 5 freeway north and see the remnants of the butts. This was when you could get the M1 thumb, but that's another story.

[quillhill]

It looks like I'll have to make another request to get the records describing what units he was with ... but I'm making an educated guess that he served in the 5th Marine Division from 1944-1946.
My mom says my grandmother told her stories about Hugh serving on an aircraft carrier. So, Sea School explains that.

I'll get my hands on the restored photos of him today ... but that patch above his rank insignia looks like the one for the 5th Marine Division.

[quillhill]

cdores, wow that's lots of very interesting information ... I'm pretty sure he was based out of Camp Pendleton for that period I mentioned. I didn't have his SSN when I initially made the request, but I do now.
Ed (GnySgtRet) suggested to me at one point to make a request via another method, which I have the form all filled out, I just need to get my mom to sign it and send it.

I didn't get over to the store where my husband ordered the restored photos. Holy cow, I found out they're going to cost $120 for the three restored photos. But that patch, having looked a bit about info on Iwo Jima, had to be the 5th Marine Division.

I have to make copies of the papers I did get so I can give them my mom. She was only 12 when her parents got divorced, so she's learning a lot about her father.

For example, it says my grandfather enlisted while in college. My mom never knew he spent two years studying at the University of Minnesota. I wonder if he was one of those guys who went to college and decided he'd rather be anywhere but stuck in a classroom...heh.

Alright, I will go get those photos today. They are for my mom and it's Mother's Day. Heh. The pics are great because my grandfather is with his family, his parents and sister, Willa. At 6-foot-3, he towered over them. My great-grandparents were teeny-tiny. However did they get a big ole guy like him!

You know, he was 30 when the 5th MarDiv was formed. He was 32 when he was discharged!

Alright, alright. I should stop. I'll just come back later after I take my mom out for Mother's Day lunch.

[dscusmc]

Sir (cdores), that's interesting about the shoulder patches. Your post mentioned leatherneck magazine, so I ran a search in the archives of the Marine Corps Gazette. I did find a photo of Marine Corps patches. Here is an excerpt from one article. (Bittner, D.F., No Title, Marine Corps Gazette, November 1980, pg 76.)

I won't repost the article because of the copyright, but these were the major points on Marine Corps patches:

-Basic Marine Corps policy has generally been that Marines identify themselves as members of the Corps and not develop distinctive associations with its subordinate organizations.

-On a number of occassions conditions forced a temporary change in policy. In WWI, Marines in Europe wore patches; the Indianhead blaze of the 2d ID and one for the 5th Marine Brigade in 1919.

-During WWII, a total of 33 shoulder sleeve insignia were authorized for wear on the Marine uniform. As of 1 August 1945, these were the patches of the 6 infantry divisions; five for 4 of the aircraft wings and HQ Aircraft FMF Pacific; 6 for the 1st Amphibious Corps and its battalions; 9 for HQ FMF Pacific; 4 for defense batallions; one for 3d Amphibious Corps; 1 for 5th Amphibious Corps; and one for ship detachments.

-Two Commandants, Gens Holcomb and Gates, tried to adhere to the policy of not wearing patches. They saw the patches as temporary and to be removed as soon as possible.

-"Thus Letter of Instruction No. 1499 of 23 September 1947 rescinded the authorization for the wearing of distinctive shoulder sleeve insignia after 1 January 1948."

Good luck with your search quillhill.

5th MARDIV Patch
5thMardiv (Small) (Custom).JPG

[dscusmc]

Here's a better picture of the patch. If you can read the numbers on the patch, it might help identify the unit better.

Apparently, 5th Marine Division was activated on 21 January 1944. It included the 26th, 27th, and 28th Marine Infantry Regiments and the 13th Artillery Regiment. It was a squad of the 28th Marine Infantry Regiment that raised the flag Suribachi).After the surrender, 5th MARDIV served in Japan on occupation duty.

They had a pretty amazing history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._5th_Marine_Division
http://hqinet001.hqmc.usmc.mil/HD/Hi..._6Mar_WWII.htm

5th-marine-division.jpg