Help with a WWII DD214
 

I've requested WWII service records for one of my grandfathers and unfortunately, I was notified that his was one of the 80% destroyed in the 1973 fire. My local VA had a copy of his DD214 on microfilm. Unfortunately, it's a pretty poor copy, but it's better than nothing.

I plan to request replacement medals and frame them along with a new DD214 I am making in PhotoShop. I'm having trouble figuring out the text in the highlighted areas. Any guesses?

My guesses:
1. Looks like "AUS", but I don't know what that means
2. "Separation Ctr Cp Gordon, Ga"
3. "Ex Rifle M-1 ?? ??" The last part looks like BAR to me.
4. "APT" Don't know what this means
5. "?? 1st Lt FD"

On the NARA site it had this info

Field Title Value Meaning
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 35208208
NAME GARTON#JOHN#A
RESIDENCE: STATE 54 WEST VIRGINIA
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 041 LEWIS
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 5420 CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 21
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 06
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 41
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 0 Undefined Code
LONGEVITY ### ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
NATIVITY 54 WEST VIRGINIA
YEAR OF BIRTH 18 RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen
EDUCATION 0 Grammar school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 316 Farm hands, general farms
MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)

What are the form fields in the five blocks that you have highlighted--what do the headings say? This may give some hints. For instance, BAR would normally mean Browning Automatic Rifle. However, the field may make that interpretation incorrect. I would also assume that he received his separation papers at Camp Gordon, Georgia. Help us with the field headings.

Looks like I'm slower than Ed.

Neil

1. AUS = Army of the United States
2. Separation Ctr Cp Gordon, Ga = Separation Center Camp Gordon, Georgia
3. Expert Rifle M1 (can’t help with the rest)
4. APT = Don’t know. It is under the heading “Destination” so could be “Army Personal Training” where he spent a month learning to be a switchboard operator…just a guess
5. I’m guessing it is PERSONS 1st Lt Finance Division (“Persons” being a last name)

From a similar DD214 I found online; fields are:
1. Component
2. Place of separation
3. Military Qualifications and date (i.e. infantry, aviation, and marksmanship badges, etc)
4. Destination
5. Total amount - Name of Disbursing Office

1. sorted
2. sorted.
3. The line is: Ex Rifle M-1 MM BAR
4. sorted
5. sorted (or close enough)



PS Ed: I found a Japanese Arisaka bayonet with my grandfather's (Garton) things. My dad said grandpa brought it back with him. It's in poor condition and I have no story at all so it's probably of little to no use for Vol. 3. Let me know if you're interested though.

All have been sorted but #3. We found a better copy of the DD214 at the courthouse which revealed the full line. The next question is: what does MM mean and is it related to BAR?

Marksman

John

You you intend to made a shadow box with your grampa medals, I think that he was also elegible for the WWII Victory Medal and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

For criteria check here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Conduct_Medal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_W...ited_States%29

Depending on where he served after the war, he might also be elegible for the Army of Occupation Medal.

Considering only the four awards, your Grandpa's medals would look like these:



Douglas

Yes I plan to request replacement medals and display them. I can buy the medals on eBay and they would be vintage, but they wouldn't be "official". Assuming the NARA accepts the DD214 we've found, hopefully they will issue the medals. Lots of maybes combined with a long wait. If anyone knows how to cut some red tape and go through the Army directly, please let me know.