Family Information

I noticed there are many on this forum with a great deal of informaiton. I am doing some research regarding my grandfather. I recently found his discharge paperwork form WWII. He passed away in the early 70s, and my grandmother who is 94 doesn't remember much. His dishcarge paperwork has him listed as a Silver Star and Bronze star recipient, yet he isn't listed on the sites showing Silver Star recipients. Any help pointing me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

Here's what i know:

Organization - HQ 470th MPEG Co
Attended Intelligence School/ 12 weeks/ 1942

Battles and campaigns - Algeria-french Moroccan Tunisian Sicilian Normandy Northern france and Rhineland
Wounded in action in Normandy

I can't find any information on his unit which seems strange considering his long list of combat citations.

 

See attached PDF. Thanks!

 

Thanks! I look forward to any informaiton. I have found info on him, but most of it is his disharge paperwork, which I have.

 

Welcome to the Forum, CJ. I have some bad news and some good news. First, the bad news. Your grandfather does not appear to have received a Silver Star Medal.

Your grandfather's separation paper indicates that his European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater ribbon had 1 silver battle star and one bronze battle star. These are often confused with the Silver Star Medal and the Bronze Star Medal. The battle stars indicate the number of battles or engagements in which your grandfather participated. In his case there were 6 (listed on line #32). The silver battle star represents 5 battles and the bronze battle star represents 1 battle. If you look in my signature below, you can see what the silver and bronze battle stars look like on the EAME ribbon of my great uncle Bud.

The good news is that he did receive the Combat Infantryman's Badge. That means that he would have received the Bronze Star Medal by virtue of the BSM conversion after the war.

You should be very proud of his service.

 

Based on the campaigns on his separation papers, he may have been with the 1st or 9th Infantry Divisions based on the combat participation chart I found over at HyperWar. However, he doesn't have credit for Adrennes-Alsace or Central Europe, so I could be wrong about that. Of course, he could have been transferred or something.

No worries, Lou. It' happens to me all the time. Great minds think alike, I guess.

 

I agree with Jeff that the 470th MPEG was a seperation outfit.
I don't believe he would have received a CIB in a Corp HQ outfit--had to be a line company.
Tommy is on the right path--think he was in the 1st or 9th Division, got wounded in Normandy and was out of action and missed a couple campaigns.
Usually the seperation document says what General Order the PH was issued under--giving the unit but no such luck.

Think the only way to know what unit is to write NARA and ask for more records and for a replacement set of medals. They will research what unit he earned his awards with.

 

I thought about that, but the timeline threw me. If he was wounded at Normandy, I would expect he might miss Northern France and Rhineland instead of Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. Or am I mistaken?

 

Tommy, you're right about the campaigns--Ardennes and Central Europe are at the end, not right after Normandy. Again, my fingers type before my brain gets engaged.

I thought the 2nd Armored was in all those campaigns, but they didn't get credit for Tunisia. The 1st and 9th are the only ones I see with those credits.
He may have missed the two last campaigns because of health reasons other than wounds--or was transferred and worked in intelligence. After six campaigns as a squad leader in an Infantry unit he may have needed something a little less demanding. Know darned well I would.

As far as the CIB--the seperation paper show he earned one. Below are the requirments--

The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to Infantry or Special Forces soldiers—enlisted men and officers (commissioned and warrant) holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size or smaller, any time after 6 December 1941.

Good work on finding the 1st and 9th Tommy--I had to dust off the old Stanton. But we do need more to go on--we're just guessing at this point.

 

Thanks, Buten. You know what they say: Even a blind squirrel...