Tonomachi Posted September 23, 2019 Share #1 Posted September 23, 2019 I need some help with these dog tags for an Earl Ira Johnson. I'm not an authority on dog tags but I'm assuming that the numbers on these tags are his service number. One dog tag lists his service # as O-926527 and the other I can't make out the first letter but the numbers are 121667. None of these numbers matches his serial number which I thought was also a service number when he enlisted in 1940 which is 17076154. Now after enlisting he was promoted to warrant officer during the war so that is why I'm assuming there was a change in his service number. Earl I JohnsonUnited States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Name: Earl I Johnson Name: JOHNSON EARL I Event Type: Military Service Event Date: 29 Jul 1942 Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law Event Place: Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, United States Race: White Citizenship Status: citizen Birth Year: 1913 Birthplace: MISSOURI Education Level: 4 years of high school Civilian Occupation: Credit men Marital Status: Married Military Rank: Private Army Branch: Air Corps Army Component: 6 Source Reference: Civil Life Serial Number: 17076154 Affiliate ARC Identifier: 1263923 Box Film Number: 02482.105 Earl I JohnsonMissouri, Reports of Separation Notices, 1941-1946 Name: Earl I Johnson Event Type: Military Service Event Date: 18 May 1946 Event Place: Fort Bragg, Cumberland, North Carolina, United States Event Place: Fort Bragg, Cumberland, North Carolina Marital Status: Married Military Service Branch: Army Birth Date: 17 Sep 1913 Birthplace: Saint Louis, Missouri Earl Ira JohnsonMissouri, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 Name: Earl Ira Johnson • Edit Event Type: Draft Registration Event Date: 16 Oct 1940 Event Place: St Louis, , Missouri, United States Race: White Complexion: Ruddy Employer: Kuhs Buick Co Relationship to Veteran: Mother Birth Date: 17 Sep 1913 Birthplace: St Louis, Missouri Height: 5 10 Weight: 197 Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Black Relative's Name: Bessie Johnson • Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted September 23, 2019 Share #2 Posted September 23, 2019 This one is easy... your guy was enlisted, so he had an enlisted serial number. He then received a commission and got the "O" serial number. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted September 23, 2019 Share #3 Posted September 23, 2019 If that's "T121667" that would be in line with a flight officer. When he made 2Lt, he got an "O-" prefix. Prefixes on ID tags in WW2: 1 = Enlisted in the Army (in other words, volunteered rather than drafted)2 = Federally recognized National Guard3 = Drafted4 = DraftedO (that’s the letter O, not a zero) = Male commissioned officersW = Male Warrant officersT = Flight officers (Army Air Force)L = Commissioned officers of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)V = WAC Warrant officersA = WAC enlisted womenR = Hospital dietitiansM = Physical therapy aides From: https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/how-to-decode-a-wwii-army-serial-number/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted September 23, 2019 Now this makes sense. Earl I. Johnson was a glider pilot during WW2. So he started off upon enlistment in 1940 with service # 10776154, went through flight training where his service # was changed to T-121667 and then was commissioned with yet a third change to his service # to O-926527. Many thanks for everyone's input and explanations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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