Help Finding Division, Regiment That Great-Grandfather Was In

I've recently been trying to find what division, regiment, and company my great-grandfather was in. I've put in a request to the National Archives, but got a letter back saying that his service record was burnt, and all I could get was a final pay voucher. While I'm waiting for his final pay voucher to be mailed to me, I'm aware that it may not contain the information I'm seeking.

During the war, he went by Junior Oral Haney. He was born in 1926, in West Virginia, and registered for the draft in May of 1944. He was in the Army. The only enlistment record I found for him is at Fort Ord, California, on November 3rd, 1945. His rank when he enlisted was PFC. As far as I'm aware, that would usually require a year of service, right? So this is definitely a reenlistment, as his brothers enlisted back in West Virginia. I know he was in Germany, so he most likely would have been sent to California to train for the invasion of Japan when he returned from Europe (I think so anyway).

What I'm asking is, is there any way to find who would have been at Ford Ord at that time in early November in terms of division and regiment? I'm a bit impatient to wait for the final pay voucher. I've searched newspapers from around that time, but I've had no luck.

 

No divisions were inactivated at Fort Ord. All the divisions inactivated in California were at Camp Stoneman. Fort Ord was headquarters of the 18th Armored Group and the Amphibious Tank and Tractor training center. It is possible if he served in Europe in a Tank Battalion that he ended up there for retraining before he was demobilized.

 

Welcome to the Forums Dylan. You need to try to get a copy of his separation papers,and there are several ways that might do the trick.
read through this thread for some ideas. "Requesting Copies of Military Personnel Records". I would first try the Auditors Office at the Court House since most veterans recorded their separation documents in case the original was lost. Then, try the cemetery if he had a military funeral (they need a copy of his separation paper to order the head marker from the VA.) You might also try the VA Archives in St. Louis for any records. If you get a copy, please post it. Good luck.

 

I suspect in this case the court house option may prove useful. Good luck either way.

 

Hello! Thank you for the wonderful advice. I did call the County Clerk today, and went down to the office. They had his father's (he was a cook in the medical department of the Army in WWI), so I picked up his records, and they had my great-grandfather's three brothers' records, but not his. He did have a military funeral, I remember it, so I'll contact the cemetary, and maybe the funeral home. He did go to the VA Hospital often. Would they have any of his records on file? My mother works there.

I did put in a request to the archives in St. Louis, but only got a letter back saying all his records were burnt in the fire! All they're able to send me is a final pay voucher that I should get on February 25th.

 

If he went to the VA hospital they should have at least some of his records. Was there ever any mention of medals? Some of them have online data bases where you might be able to look him up and get the citation if he has one.

 

"I did put in a request to the archives in St. Louis, but only got a letter back saying all his records were burnt in the fire! All they're able to send me is a final pay voucher that I should get on February 25th."

You put in a request for his personnel records at NARA. The VA have their records in their archives which is different than where the personnel records ate kept. they are both in St. Louis but different. you can find the VA archives on the VA website.

 

No kidding? That's great! I'll put in a request as soon as I can.