New and looking for info on Grandfather

Hello all! Like the title says I was in the Navy between 1987-1991 stationed aboard the USS Nimitz.

I found your site because I was looking for information on my Grandfather who was a WW2 vet.

My grandfather is now deceased and I have always tried to ask family members questions about his service. My aunt told me that they would question my grandfather about the war and he would get angry so I don't think they bugged him about it too much.

The only information I have been able to gather from a single photo I have of him in Uniform.

First I took the photo to the Veterans museum in my small town of Centralia, Wa. where actual WW2 veterans run the museum.

The only info they could give me is that he had a ruptured duck and what looked to be some sort of do dad around one shoulder wrapping under the arm pit (sorry don't know what it's called.) One of the vets at the museum told me it looked like something about being in France.

That's all they could tell me. His Shoulder patches where not really too clear.

Later I took a magnifying glass and could barely make out one patch on his shoulder. It look to me to be a European Theater of Operation Advanced base patch.

I think my Grandpa guarded prisoners of war. My aunt told me that the only thing he ever said about the war was that he witnessed or participated in GI's throwing grenades in a well with German prisoners in it.

He told my Aunts and Uncles this story to discourage them from questioning him about it anymore.

Whether it's true or not I'm not sure. But I do believe that he had painful memories of the war and did not want to talk about it.

If you have any information on this unit or knew my GP please let me know.

His name was Charles Herrmann. He was from St Paul, MN. and later settled in Seattle, Wa.

Thanks

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Greetings Animalmuther- I have located one Charles B. Hermann YOB: 1913-Enlistment date of 11-24-43 out of Spokane, WA. Your grandad's middle initial or DOB would be helpful. There are about 7-10 Charles Hermann listed but some were obviously not him unless he was born in the 1890's or enlisted in PA. or NY. which seems doubtful. A DOD would also be helpful (apologies & condolences).

 

Thanks Blood hound. That might be him. The name is one letter off but he was from Illinois and he was a concrete finisher. He was also born in 1913.

Did you find your info in the NARA database or is there another source with additional info. thanks

 

Welcome to WWII Forum. The thingie on your grandfather's shoulder is probably a golden rope that was given by the French government. So he was in the war in Europe. I was the primary caregiver for my father-in-law & I have a pic of him with one of those ropes. He has Alzheimer's and in recent years he became "tormented" to use his words about the German prisoners that he had to turn over to the Russians. That made it possible for me to locate where he ended up at the end of the war, which was Czechoslovakia (the scene of terrible ethnic cleansing). As for the German prisoners, look up the Rhine Meadows Disarmed Enemy Enclosures for information. I think you will have to find out more about what units he was in, which I have found very frustrating because they changed throughout the war.

 

My theory is that he may have guarded prisoners or at least been around where they where kept. My mom says that he used to speak German to them while growing up. Whether he was fluent or not she could not say. Maybe he was a translator. It may be that he picked up a few words while serving in Europe. 'Herrmann the German" was a nickname I heard family members where called while growing up. So who knows.

 

Animalmuther--you didn't give us much to work with. The Honorable Discharge lapel button (ruptured duck) was given to show he was honorably discharged. The braid around his shoulder is called a "Fourragere". It was an award given by the French and Belgian Governments as a unit award for the Croix de Guerre. I believe the Dutch also gave one and think it was orange. I'm coming up with a complete blank on the ETO Advanced Base patch--explain what it looks like.
I'm guessing you don't have his separation papers--Is your grandmother still alive? She would be "next of kin" and could get a copy of all his records if they wasn't destroyed in the 73' fire. They would at least be able to learn his unit from other sources. If you don't know his service number, give as much information as you can when asking for his records. Good to see another Northwest webfoot on the forum--I'm from Bellingham.
Dave

 

Thanks Buten. Well I guess the proper name for the unit was CommZ. if you look at mo other post I have attached i pic of the patch. It's the same one Lee Marvin wears in the dirty dozen. Kind of interesting. My grandmother is deceased but my mom is going to hit my uncle to see if he has any paperwork or info.

 

Your mother is next of kin. Officially, it's parents, spouse, siblings or children.
Take what you get from your uncle (or not) and fill out a form that you can download from the NARA website on military personnel records and have your mother sign it. Fill in everything you possibly can, ask for all his personnel records and a replacement set of his decorations and awards. All it will cost is a stamp and a little time--worth a try.
Found the patch using the other post and looks like he was in supply like you said, except for during the battle of the Bulge when they held an important sector for 36 hours until the combat troops showed up.