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Researching a local veteran


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As I was seeking a photo of a local sports legend (Ernie Raimonid) who played pro-baseball in the 1930s here and with the San Francisco Seals, I stumbled upon another ball-player's photograph. I searched a few online sites to determine if more information existed (scant little) but I had something to go on.

 

Harold D. Schimling was born in Seattle in 1916 (but grew up in Tacoma) to Norwegian immigrants and began playing professional baseball in 1938 as a catcher in the D-leagues in Sioux City. He worked his way up to the Tacoma Tigers of the Western International League (class B) in 1940. Rather than playing in the 1941 season, he opted instead to enlist into the U.S. Army (April 25, 1941) and was ultimately assigned to the 41st Infantry Division and served in the PTO.

 

After his war service concluded, he was reportedly signed (in June of 1945) by the St. Louis Browns and assigned to their minor league farm team - the Toledo Mud Hens. However, records show that for the 1945 season, he played just 18 games with the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League (class AA). He never played again (according to what I was able to find).

 

Mr. Schimling passed away in 1998, apparently a life-long Tacoma resident.

 

I am considering a NARA request...but before I do, I wanted to solicit the sleuthing services of my USMF brethren. In the photo of Schimling below, I am trying to determine the ribbons he is wearing but the low-rez/small image size is restricting my ability to discern more than a couple. Can you guys help?

 

14261.jpg

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I can't really tell what ribbon it is on top, but maybe the clue lies with the unit patch? The patch is for the 41st Infantry Division. Maybe the 41st ID has a history page and maybe they have a list of Soldier's in the unit. Maybe your man will appear on the rosters.

 

I did a real quick search on the Silver Star website, but I did not get any hits.

 

Strange that he wears no collar brass identifying his branch of service...

 

I will continuee to look though...

 

http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/041id.htm

 

 

Leigh

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He wears six overseas bars on his cuff, so he would have been in SWAPO the Phillippines and Japan. He may not of had an american campaign ribbon as the Division departed CONUS in April 1942.

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In looking closer at the ribbon rack, it appears that the bottom row has the PTO ribbon with 4 stars (far left). Next to that one looks to be the American Defense Medal....but from there...it is tough to tell.

 

The absence of collar brass is interesting. I do see what looks to be a ruptured duck pin on the left lapel. Perhaps there's a PUC on the right chest?

post-9529-0-60655600-1359393227_thumb.jpg

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He wears six overseas bars on his cuff, so he would have been in SWAPO the Phillippines and Japan. He may not of had an american campaign ribbon as the Division departed CONUS in April 1942.

 

Yeah...that caught my eye as well. Hal was discharged in 1945 and back playing baseball in the 1945 season so clearly, his 4-year enlistment had expired prior to the war's end. The date of the photo was June 19, 1945...so this means that Schimling didn't make it to Japan - the Philippines would have been his stop.

 

Considering these facts, I had operated on the assumption that all active duty enlistment-expiration dates were converted to the default "six-months post-war" status. Unless Schimling was wounded/injured and was medically discharged (how could he be playing ball???), why was he NOT serving through to the end of the war?

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Looks like (to me)

 

VFW Member Ribbon

Army Good Conduct - American Defense

Asiatic Pacific - American Campaign - Phil Lib

 

Those would all make sense for him.

 

All sorts of reasons why he could be out by June '45...could have been ill and then discharged (anything from pneumonia to positive for TB, etc...) could have requested a discharge to play ball, etc. Won't know until you actually get his paperwork.

 

Dave

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So the bottom row looks to be (l to r): Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with 3-4 stars), American Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal

 

The middle row seems to be (l to r) Army Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart Medal (??)

 

The top ribbon is difficult to discern.

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So the bottom row looks to be (l to r): Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with 3-4 stars), American Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal

 

The middle row seems to be (l to r) Army Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart Medal (??)

 

The top ribbon is difficult to discern.

 

 

See my above post...

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See my above post...

 

Yep...saw it right after I posted...we were writing simultaneously.

 

Thanks, Dave (and everyone else)!

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