Stanley Halldin, 981st Field Artillery Battalion

This is getting interesting!
On http://unitpages.military.com/ I found this man named Seymour Katz, he was in the 981st and is said to have information, photos, signatures and more from the men of the 981st. Just like Stanley, he was from Newark, New Jersey AND was at HQ, perhaps they knew each other?
I have contacted him and I'm eager to get a reply.

 

I sure will, hope Mr. Katz is still visiting that site every now and then.

 

Talked to my grandfather today, and he was pretty sure Stanley served in the Pacific. Haven't found anything out about the 981st, but grandpa said Stanley's parents visited him once and he was in Sweden at least two times after the war, so I guess he told his parents and/or brothers what he did during the war. Gah, I hope this Seymour Katz hasn't abandoned the unitpages.military.com-site, or even worse. :/

 

Got another question!
In the voucher, it says:
REASON: Trfd to ERC per WD cir 92/43 at own req to acc empl in an essen ind, incl agricl. 5th ind, Hq 76th Brigade 30 June/43.
Is that where he was transfered to, or is it at which HQ he filed his transfer request? Is it some kind of industry unit? Can't find anything about it.

 

Mr. Halldin,
My Father in Law was in the 981st field artillery and I am in the process of writing a book of his experiences. I have had contact with Seymor Katz and another Veteran that lives close to me and is part of the subject of my book. His name is Leonard Czarnecki. I have gotten from the National Archives the 981st field journal and I have even got a short history of the 981st put together just after the war when the troops were preparing to go home. From what I can gather from your Inquiry the 981st never saw any action in the Pacific theater during WW2, they were in the ETO. If you would like to have me e-mail you some documents that I have please contact me at bigkahuna53@hotmail.com

 

Mr. Halldin,
To answer your question " What was the 981st Feild Artillery Doing from January 1943 to July 23, 1943. According to the Unit Journal
2/16/43 Assigned to the IX Corp Redesignated 981st Field Artillery from the 144th Field Artillery
3/3/43 Assigned to IV Corp Ft Lewis Washington
3/11/43 Transferred to the Desert Training Center Camp Young California
8/15/43 Assigned to 76th Field Artillery and Shipped to Ft Leonard Wood Missouri

 

Ah, great stuff! Thank you very much. An email is on its way.
I wonder why all I've heard from my relatives is that he fought in the pacific, maybe he got sent away once more and I didn't get the full info from the National Archives. Or maybe it was just something he said to impress the people back home...

 

My search has probably come to an end.
I have e-mailed the National Archives and asked some question, but I hardly believe they have the answers. And I have no more leads to follow.
I guess I could start asking my relatives more questions aswell, and maybe try to get in touch with Stanley's wife's relatives or something like that, but it's quite a long shot.

Just want to thank everybody that have helped me, it has really meant alot to me.
Merry Christmas to all of you!

 

Bruce Katz e-mailed me this video interview with Seymour Katz, who also was from Newark New Jersey, and also served with the HQ company in the 981st.

Seymour Katz

 

Hmm, this is kind of wierd.
Can't find Stanley on Social Security Death Index Interactive Search while searching the Social Security Death Index.

If anybody could find him or have an explanation to this, I would love to hear it.

 

Starting to get lonely in this thread...
Is there other ways to find where a person died/is buried? Can't find anything.

 

Halldin
Have you ever looked into unit reunion web sites?
981st Field Artillery Battalion (1950s and Before) - Unit Pages
Well now I see that you have already been to the same web site and posted questions.
Sorry. Have you tried finding his death certif.?

 

On Dec-29-43 the 981st Field Art. Battalion sailed from Boston on the Edmund B. Alexander, on Jan 8-44 she arrived at Liverpool England- This according to the Unit Journal of the 981st Field Artillery Battalion.

 

Thanks, that's nice info. But by then, my relative was long gone, and I'll probably never know why.

 

I thought he died in 1965, I don't follow your statement that he was long gone by then.
The previous link was to the unit history from 1950's and before.

 

Sorry for my mistake. I meant that he was long gone from the 981st and the Army.

 

It's been a while since there has been any update on this. Any new information yet Halldin?

 

Hello Everyone greetings and salutations from Wayne New Jersey!
There is a man who has gotten on in his years by the name of Joe Miller who is recovering at Care One in Wayne, New Jersey who served in the 981st.
I have met him as of late and we talk of experiences during WWII, I will ask him about Stan and see if he can recall anything, from what he has said the 981st might have moved around alot?
Did you know the 981st once was tasked with shore duty on the beach at Santa Monica, California according to Joe Miller? He speaks of dragging 155 howitzers using International tractors out to the sand, and how they used german shepard dogs for security patrols.
Joe says he was at D-Day when they were called to silence a bunker using direct fire where the first round skipped of the pill box and how the 2nd round was a direct hit earning the gun crew a bronze star.
Joe recals german aircraft spotters flying over the beaches at night dropping flares and taking recon photos of the invasion forces and how a short while later deadly german guns trained on them.
Joe doesnt brag, he makes no grandious statements he speaks in very direct straight forward terms as a man does who knows what war is.
I am not sure if the 981st went to D-Day, he could have been mustered to another unit but it has always been my notion the Marines took Okinawa? this should be interesting for all of us?
Best Regards to all who pass this way.

 

Just got back from the convalescant hospital and spoke with Joe who does recall a
' swede ' who when he spoke they couldnt understand nary a word due to his accent, Joe recalls the man fondly...
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