Seeking Purple Heart

I am sorry to barge in on your Topic, but I am looking for anyone who may be able to steer me in a direction. My Dad is a WWII veteran and I have been trying desperately to get his Purple Heart that he should have gotten. He was in the Battle of the Bulge, and he drove the first vehicle over the remegen bridge. A short time over that he was injured by Mortar while he was walking ahead of his tank. I have been told that the medical records were destroyed in a fire in Kansas. He was knocked out and left for dead, and when they came through to pick up the dead they found my Dad leaned up on a wall or shrubs. He had been knocked out for 18 hours. They took him to a field clinic for a week and then he went back to his tank. I have went through my congressman and he had no luck finding any medical records either. So now I am down to this, they tell me I need 2 witnesses, which I know is impossible, my Dad is 93 years old. The likely hood of anyone being alive that was even in D-Troop of 89th is probably none. I am not giving up though. I am going to post a picture of my Dad on his tank to see if anyone knows any of the people on there with him. He was under General Bradley until he crossed the Rhine River and then he was under General Patton. He was in the 9th armored Division. I am asking for any kind of search areas that I have not tried yet. Thank you for any help

 

I am new to this, but my reason for getting on here is to try and get more information about places to look for help on getting WWII medical records. My Dad is Avner McBride and he 93 years old and is from Arkansas. I am his youngest daughter and I would not even be here if he had not come back from the War. He drove a tank, M24 Chaffee, and an M8 Armored Car. He was in the battle of the Bulge and he drove the first vehicle across the bridge over the Rhine River. Shortly after that he was injured by a Mortar that exploded on the opposite side of a row of hedges that he was walking beside. He told me they all knew each others jobs and each one would take turns doing this walk about which was ahead of the tanks. It was not his turn but he took it because the guy who was suppose had just gotten over pneumonia and it was very cold. Long story short, they thought he was dead and left him when the mortar started. He woke up 18 hours later in the dark and pulled himself up and leaned against the hedges or a wall. He said it took him a while to figure out where he was and what had happened. The medics came through later to retrieve the dead and they said"you ain't dead" and Daddy said" Am I suppose to be". They took him to a field hospital for a week and then he went back to his tank. There is no record of this happening, or at least that is what I have been told by the army. I have a picture of him on his tank with a bandage sticking out of his shirt sleeve. He still has shrapnel in him today. Daddy says it doesn't matter, but to me it does. He never ever talked about the war while I was growing up and only in the last few years has he began to talk. I was hoping someone on here could give me new light to a search area that I could try. The records at Kansas were destroyed by fire and the records that I have managed to get do not say anything about the injuries.
I am probably fighting my own endless battle of getting this for him, but I do not want to give up.
Thank you to all who read this!

 

If you go to this link, you'll find several files of 89th Cav records listed and available for download: http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/searchterm/89th%20cavalry%20reconnaissance%20squadron/order/nosort

I would recommend downloading file #'s 2 and 4-6 (and possibly #1 for the background information). File #2 covers Dec 44, #4 covers April 45, #5 covers Oct 44 thru early May 45 and #6 covers March 45.

The files covering March and April 45 are better scans than the ones in file #5 and they also contain numerous overlays which will give you some idea of how the troops moved and were deployed. Overlays are tracings made from maps which will show where the 89th troops were at a given time.

The large file, #5, is posted starting with May 45 and working backwards to Oct 44. Numerous pages were scanned poorly but overall it will give you an idea of what your father was involved in. It's unlikely you will find his name in these files.

Since you have exhausted attempts to acquire information through the military, I would suggest you consider hiring a private researcher to reconstruct your father's military time. Morning Reports were kept by all units to monitor the status of each individual assigned. They contain info on a persons wounds, sickness, transfers, promotions/demotions, injuries, etc. A researcher will likely be able to find other records I'm not familiar with. Several of us on the forum have used Golden Arrow Military Research and been satisfied with the results. It won't hurt to check with them and get a price estimate.

Steve

 

Welcome to the Forum, Daddy'sGirl. Since your father's records were destroyed in the 1973 fire at NARA in St. Louis, your best bet is to build the best case you can. In my opinion, that would mean following Steve's advice and hire a researcher. Getting the Morning Reports for your father's unit may go a long way to making your case. Speaking for myself, I have been very happy with the results I have gotten through Golden Arrow.

In addition, I would also try to find out what unit records are available through the NARA in College Park, MD.

 

This thread is a couple years old. I sure hope Daddy's Girl got answers. Maybe she will get this post in her emails and update us. Anyone know if she was successful?

 

These days, write your request to a State Rep or your local Congresscritter. They like the PR.