Hello, I have been reading about the war since I was in junior high school, that was a long time ago. I can remember the first book I read on the war called "Brave Men" by Ernie Pyle. My dad had it in his library. My dad was a Captain in the 29th Infantry Division. He passed away in 1988 and since then I have regretted not asking him questions in more detail, as to what he did when he was in the Army. I know a limited amount. He never volunteered anything, perhaps he didn't want to talk about it. He was in from 1941 to 1945, field artillery, tank destroyers as a tank platoon commander and the 29th Infantry when he was discharged. I still have his dress coat with captains bars, crossed rifles and campaign ribbons. It will always be in our family. I also have his mess kit and utensils, canteen and belt and a variety of patches and stripes before he became an officer. The canteen is stamped 1941 but the metal cup it fits into is stamped 1918. I don't know how much time I can devote to the forum, but I shall try to check in as much as possible and try to educate myself on the war. Thanks for having me.
Welcome. If you could post pictures of you father's uniform, it would help us understand what he was involved in. His name would also help.
I do not know which Tank Destroyer unit he served in. I just remember some discharge papers read, "tank platoon commander." Here is a photo of his coat, his name was Emmet M Molloy. As I said, we never discussed the war very much. I could never figure why the 29th Infantry Division patch was not sewn on the coat. It was the last division he was in when he was a captain, before he was discharged. He had also graduated from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania with a degree in political science and economics before he went into the Army. I thought that perhaps the bottom brass button had fallen off and that he replaced it with the plastic button, but from looking at pictures on line, I see that it was supposed to be that way, that's the way they were made.
I know he was also in the Pacific, Korea and Okinawa. He brought home two Arisaka Japanese rifles, a type 38 6.5 and type 99 7.7 and the bayonets that went with them. Also, a Japanese officer's sword. They are long gone. I believe that I remember him saying something about the Army of Occupation while in the Pacific. I remember him saying that they used to find a skull from the Battle and set it on the beach and play a game to see who could throw a pebble through the eye sockets. He had also brought home his shoulder holster for his .45 but unfortunately, he never brought the pistol home. I never asked why.
Well, the 29th ID was never in the PTO, so it's odd that it would be his last unit, especially if he was on Occupation duty in the PTO. It would be helpful to see his separation/discharge papers. His ribbons appear to be: (top, L-R) GCM, American Defense Medal; (bottom, L-R) American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign w/1 battle star, WW2 Victory Medal. He may be missing the Army of Occupation Medal, assuming he served at least 30 days in that capacity. Since the medal was authorized in 1946, after he had left the service, it may have fallen through the cracks, so to speak.
I know, you are correct and from doing research in the past, I am aware that the 29th was never there in Okinawa, supposedly. I remember him saying that he was in the Army of Occupation there, after hostilities were over. I don't know about Korea, but I thought he said he was there also. Since I never questioned it back then because it just went in one ear and out the other when I was younger, we will never know. My mother who is 102, and suffers from severe dementia would never be able to shed any light on the subject anymore. From what I understand, from the V.A., his later service records were lost when they had that big fire where the records were stored, years ago. The only very hard to read document was from his earlier years when he was a Sargent, and said he was a tank platoon commander, before he made Lieutenant. I assume he either went to OCS or had a battlefield commission. I was in the Navy so I don't know how the Army works, let alone back then. I still have his private, corporal and Sargent stripes. But he started out as a private in 1941.
According to his NARA enlistment record, Emmet M. Molloy was born in 1915 and enlisted on 8 April 1941 at Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. His enlisted rank was private, but it indicates he had four years of college and branch designation was "branch immaterial-warrant officers", so it was likely he went directly to OCS. Given where and when he enlisted, he went directly to the 29th Infantry Division for training, since it was activated 3 February 1941. Given that prewar the only Pennsylvania NG tank unit was the 28th Tank Company, which was never activated as a tank unit, it is unlikely that is where he went. OTOH, the 29th ID and 22d Cavalry formed the 105th Antitank Battalion in October 1940 and the 29th Division formed the 29th Antitank Battalion (Provisional) for the fall maneuvers of 1941 that resulted in the organization of the Tank Destroyers. The 105th was then re-designated the 805th and the 29th the 629th TD Battalions...unfortunately at that point your trail runs cold, since the 629th TD served in Europe and the 805th in Italy. That indicates he was likely transferred to one of those which served in the Pacific, the 632d, 637th, 640th, 671st, 806th, and 819th. Of those, the 671st and 806th did not see combat, so it seems likely he was in one of the others. I would suspect the 819th, since it was activated 1 June 1942, which would have been about the time he was completing his training, so he would have been a prime cadre for a newly activated unit...except he doesn't appear in that units roster. Complicating things is that he was commissioned into the Infantry and his Tank Destroyer service may have preceded that, which might explain why neither his TD or 29th ID insignia were sewn on his officers coat...his Pacific service may have been with yet another unit of almost any type. If you know where he lived after he was discharged you could check the county court records for his separation papers, most filed them as a matter of course. That would at least tell us what his last unit was.
Thanks so much for this, I really appreciate it! I was aware of some of your research as far as his birth and where he enlisted and that he had graduated from Bucknell University, as I had stated in my post earlier, but much of this I had never read. You did a wonderful job. I would have never known how to research this as you did. As I mentioned also, earlier, when we applied for veterans benefits for my mother for her benevolent care in her nursing home (which was approved) I was told that due to the fire at the records center years ago (I thought it was in St. Louis?) that his discharge record was among the many destroyed. And as mentioned earlier also, I could have sworn that he mentioned something about being in the field artillery early on, also. Hard to say, now. After he was discharged he may have lived in either Hazleton or Port Carbon, Pa. I am not really sure. Perhaps I can look into it sometime. Thanks again.
Okay, every veteran received a copy of their discharge and it was normal for them to them file a copy with their local county courthouse. The fire at St. Louis destroyed the original file copies of the records, but if he ever applied for Veterans medical or educational benefits then it is probable copies were filed with the VA as well. He may have been in the field artillery early on, but the crossed rifles on his officers blouse indicates he was commissioned in the Infantry. There were no officers commissioned into the Tank Destroyers or Armor since neither was a recognized Branch of the Army. However, all enlisted personnel of the Tank Destroyers were eventually assigned to the field artillery for personnel administration and most of the initial enlisted personnel (and officers) came from the field artillery. That would explain why he was commissioned into the Infantry...except that most TD officers "minted" during the war were commissioned into the field artillery. It could well be that in fact he was enlisted and in the Tank Destroyers, but was transferred to the infantry when commissioned and served in the Pacific with an entirely different unit.
Among other patches that he had in a cigar box, were; The U.S. Army Ground Forces patch, the Replacement and School Command patch and the blue and white heart shaped 24th Corps patch, and I read that they were in Okinawa, so that may clear up some of that mystery because that is where he got those two Japanese rifles and the officers sword, so I remember. They were just down in my basement in my home in the Lehigh Valley, Pa. and when I moved and downsized considerably, I sold them to a gun shop in Bethlehem, Pa.
Thanks again for your very knowledgeable input. I certainly appreciate it. The highest rank inlisted patch that I have of his is a Sargent (3stripes) so that, I assume, could have been when he was with the tank destroyers.
If he was XXIV Corps on Okinawa then he was no longer with the Tank Destroyers, since none were assigned to that operation. I suspect that by that time he received his commission and was in some other role.
I was going to post some pictures of his patches and different stripes, but now, even if I reduce them, or take the photo from further away, I keep getting the message that the image is too large. It took my previous picture of his coat so I don't know what is up now.