I am researching an officer of the 382nd Infantry (Captain Cledith W Bourdeau) and have come up against a puzzle. The officer joined the army as a draftee in March 1941 but according to another source his veterans service only began in October 1942. I expect this post-dated his OCS course and was like the Russian Army was the date of his assignment to the 382nd? I am also interested in finding out which regiment he was with in 1941-2 while serving as a Private? regards Keith
Seeing the sources would be helpful. The other date, Veterans Service began, could be the date he entered active service. He may very well have joined the National Guard or Army Reserve to attend OCS, which is what I believe to have been common during the period.
Formerjughead just made the point I was going to make. It would help to see any documents or sources so we have the information in context. Tracking his movement from unit to unit would probably involve Morning Reports and rosters. That would need to be done at the NARA in St. Louis or via a researcher.
Would his officer number be a source of information? it was 0-1297831. I don't think he was in the National Guard. He was either drafted or volunteered. According to the Fresno Bee he was in the same group as his twin brother. I assume one or other of them volunteered or they had really bad luck .
You missed my point....he may have been assigned to a reserve component, such as the Army Reserve or National Guard, while he was attending OCS or he may have already been in an ROTC program prior to going to OCS. Just because someone was in the National Guard or Reserves during war time they do not attain "Veteran Status" until are ordered "Active Duty" and that would explain the "Veterans Service Begins" date. He also could have also volunteered for a flight school...Lemoore NAS and Castle AFB are right there. In any case, Military Officers / Cadets are carried in, and remain in, a reserve status while they are in training; unless they attend one of the Military Academies: West Point or Annapolis. It would also be a lot easier to interpret if we could see the documents.
Sorry I'm a bit of a beginner and being a Edinburgh-based Scot not very well-versed in the US Military. His army number [SIZE=11pt]39077433 indicates a California draftee, a[/SIZE]llocated in March 1941 (his twin brother has one just a couple of digits different). Looks like I am left with unanswered questions. He presumably was serving in an unidentified unit (perhaps local) during the term of his training. After a period as a rifle platoon commander he was probably first an XO then a company commander by November 1944 which would argue a commission as a second lieutenant by late 1942 (his veteran date?) , possibly entering OCS (Ft Benning?) in the Spring of 1942? Perhaps a year after entering the army/reserve/NG as a private. With only two years of high school would that determine his suitability as an officer, or would it indicate he showed promise during basic training? I don't have any documents other than the accounts of the Fresno Bee and his citations, as well as a mention in a newspaper article written in memory of the Okinawa battle, mentions in Coalinga City educational records....California census records....anything I can find on the internet. Hence the use of the word "probably", "perhaps" , use of the question mark...etc. To be truthful if he didn't have such an unusual name I'd be sinking without trace.
IIRC when you join a college ROTC 2 year program you are enlisted into a Reserve unit as an enlisted soldier with rank PFC. ROTC commissions are given once you complete all officer training. In WWII this ROTC training was usually shortened to 18 months while in college. A US service number that doesn't start with a number is usually for an enlisted man. Once commissioned the soldier is discharged as an enlisted man and gets a Service Number usually starting with O- indicating an officer. OCS in WWII started out as 8 weeks long but was shortened to 30 days for prior enlisted men who had served. Once commissioned from OCS the individual was discharged as an enlisted man and received his new Service Number. So his commissioned date starts his time as an officer and his enlistment date starts his time in service.
