Seeking info on: WWII co c 141 td tng bn

Hello, I hope someone can please help me.
I'm trying to find information about the regiment my brother's Father (Oscar Benjamin Ray, born July 24,1912 in Dallas TX, died Nov 19, 1956 in Beaumont TX) served in during WWII... (regiment reunions/survivors, company roster, regiment history/documentation and hopefully details about where/when Oscar was while serving). My brother (Joe Ray) does not use computers so I'm helping him and will give him all information.

I found an online photo of Oscar Ray's tombstone (in Beaumont TX...which matches with the only information we had that Oscar lived/worked in Beaumont as a Auto Wrecking Yard Mgr) on the internet and it reads: WWII co c 141 td tng bn.... does that mean Oscar was in the 141st Infantry, Company C, Private status, Tank Destroyer Training Battalion...Army and/or TX Natl Guard?? Was Oscar involved in overseas fighting or remain in TX as a trainer? Military Records groups say Oscar's military records were probably destroyed in the 1973 fire but we can't research because we don't have Oscar's SS# or Military I.D.#s. I found an online Death Cert for Oscar but no details were on that.

This week, my brother traveled to the Cemetery and spent time/cleaned his father's non-maintained grave. My brother (a proud Army Veteran who served in Korea during the Vietnam War) never knew his Father, as Oscar died when my brother was 4 years old. My brother does not have any photos of his father either My brother is depressed he knows nothing of his father's military service (or any personal information or heritage etc)...our Mother did not share that information. If I can help put my brother in touch with any regiment survivors who knew Oscar or websites specific to Oscar's regiment that might have a photo/details of Oscar, it will help give my brother peace, a sense of 'family' and closure. Thanks to anyone for your time, knowledge, help and leads.
Adele Wilke, email: aawdonatelifeATyahoo.com
I can provide my brother's address and phone if someone with detailed information about Oscar Benjamin Ray, wishes to contact him directly.

 

Hello Adele, welcome to the forum. Your brother's father, Oscar, was a member of Company C, 141st Tank Destroyer Training Battalion, based at North Camp Hood (now Fort Hood), Texas. I found his headstone application on Ancestry (see below) which includes his Army Serial Number (ASN). Based on the information it contains, I believe that he spent his entire military time in the 141st. As you can see, he entered the service in August of 1943 and was discharged (honorably) in February of 1944. Perhaps he was injured in some way and discharged?

Also found a copy of his death certificate but this isn't the place to post it. I can email it to you if you don't have a copy.

Also would suggest you go back and edit your original post and change the "@" in your email to "AT" to minimize the possibility of spammers finding you.

Steve

 

A huge thank you to Natman for sending clarification of the military service tombstone details and attaching a copy of Oscar B. Ray's tombstone application. I don't subscribe to Ancestry.com so I don't have access to such information and I'm grateful for any items anyone can send this way. My brother would love to be connected with any living survivors of the specific regiment his father (Oscar B. Ray) served with or to find out if Oscar was overseas fighting and why his military service was so short - thankfully there was an honorable discharge

My brother is also trying to find out the heritage or relatives of his father. It looks like Oscar's Mother (I found an internet search) was named Marie Commings and was married to Lonnie Ray when Oscar was born in Dallas. The gravestone application shows a Marie Levine (from Dallas) who might be Oscar's Mother, remarried. Apparently Oscar moved to Beaumont TX and worked as an Auto Salvage Yards Mgr for the remainder of his life. Perhaps he stayed connected with fellow military personnel while he lived in Beaumont?

Any and ALL information is greatly appreciated and I'm sending everything to my brother.

Thank,you so much!... Adele

 

Hello Everyone. I've a few updates made possible by kind folks...thank you so much to those who helped so far! There are still so many unanswered questions and hopefully others can help.

I'm attaching four internet documents people have emailed me. It's not easy for me to navigate the computer and internet but I try. My brother, Joe, does not use computers or the internet at all.

Joe and I are still hitting dead ends and confusion regarding the exact details about Joe's father's (Oscar Benjamin Ray) military service. Not to mention we can't find personal information records or photos of either Oscar Ray or Oscar's father (Lonnie Ray) - if anyone has access to ancestry databases and could supply information regarding Oscar or Lonnie's ethnic heritage, we thank you for that too.


Joe traveled to Beaumont TX (Jefferson County) and visited the Jefferson TX county clerk and Beaumont TX county clerk - no records were found on his father or grandfather Lonnie. He spent a lot of time at and cleaned his father's tombstone and called a lot of "Ray"'s with not having found any relatives. Joe even called several 'wrecking yards' in Beaumont in hopes that his father had worked there... the phones rang away with no answering machine. The Williams Funeral Home (who did Oscar's service) never returned Joe's calls.

The confusion is Oscar's tombstone shows 6 months of service (8/9/1943-2/8/1944, Service # 38532637) with an "Ind" instead of "Enlisted" (Inducted? Amerian Indian? Independent?). The 1930 Census shows Oscar signed up for the military at 18 years old at Fort Bliss Military Reservations, El Paso TX (taken in the Seventh Cavalry area)...that would be 11 years in the military? One person responded that Oscar probably did not go oversees because there was no other unit written on the Tombstone...but it's possible Oscar's mother (Marie Cummings/Levine) may not have had all of Oscar's military details when she filled out the tombstone application?

I've been sent old Ft. Hood/Camp Hood newspaper links but there is no mention of Oscar B. Ray nor does the TX Military Museum (in Austin TX) have records for Oscar. I was hoping I'd find his name and photo... my brother does not even know what his father or grandfather looked like.

Joe recently completed paperwork and forms to get copies of his father's military records...IF they exist and were not destroyed by fire at the 1973 St. Louis MO National Personnel Records Center.

Our next step is to blind-mail letters to the Dallas addresses listed on Oscar's mother's (Marie Cummings, Marie Levine) data and the last known residence for Oscar in Beaumont (Joe went by but nobody was home)- perhaps relatives to Oscar or Marie are still living there? Perhaps they have photos or know where photos might be?

Any other suggestions, help and tips are greatly appreciated. My personal email is aawdonatelife AT yahoo.com if you wish to send me data for my brother.

Respectfully,
Adele



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