Need help with Glider Pilot ID

[gearup1940]

Does anyone have any information about this Glider Pilot?  Thanks.

[Allan H.]

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER16077101

NAME: KALMES#JOHN#J#

RESIDENCE: STATE 61 ILLINOIS

RESIDENCE: COUNTY 031 COOK

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 6120 CHICAGO ILLINOIS

DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 25

DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 03

DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 42

GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT#Private

GRADE: CODE 8 Private

BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION AC# Air Corps

BRANCH: CODE 20 Air Corps

FIELD USE AS DESIRED##

TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 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

LONGEVITY######

SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life

NATIVITY 63 WISCONSIN

YEAR OF BIRTH 21

RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen

EDUCATION 6 2 years of college

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 983 Unskilled mechanics and repairmen, n.e.c.

MARITAL STATUS 6 Single, without dependents

COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 6 Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of the United States under Army Regulations 605-10

[Tonomachi]

Strange that he is not listed as a glider pilot with the National WWII Glider Pilots Committee Silent Wings Museum Foundation.  I found this information regarding what information that have in NARA:

 

Field TitleValueMeaning

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER1607710116077101

NAMEKALMES#JOHN#J###########KALMES#JOHN#J###########

RESIDENCE: STATE61ILLINOIS

RESIDENCE: COUNTY031COOK

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT6120CHICAGO ILLINOIS

DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY2525

DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH0303

DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR4242

GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATIONPVT#Private

GRADE: CODE8Private

BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATIONAC#Air Corps

BRANCH: CODE20Air Corps

FIELD USE AS DESIRED##

TERM OF ENLISTMENT5Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law

LONGEVITY######

SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL0Civil Life

NATIVITY63WISCONSIN

YEAR OF BIRTH2121

RACE AND CITIZENSHIP1White, citizen

EDUCATION62 years of college

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION983Unskilled mechanics and repairmen, n.e.c.

MARITAL STATUS6Single, without dependents

COMPONENT OF THE ARMY6Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of the United States under Army Regulations 605-10

CARD NUMBER##

BOX NUMBER02160216

FILM REEL NUMBER2.73#2.73#

 

I also found this on Find-A-Grave:

 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14763852/john-joseph-kalmes

 

John Joseph Kalmes

BIRTH5 Jul 1921

Clintonville, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, USA

DEATH25 Jun 2006 (aged 84)

Tinley Park, Cook County, Illinois, USA

BURIAL

Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleums

Calumet City, Cook County, Illinois, USA

MEMORIAL ID14763852 · View Source

 

Veteran of WWII, beloved husband of the late Lillian J. nee Peterson. Loving father of Rita Ann (David) Meseberg, Nancy (Frank) Poremski, Robert (Kathleen E.), Michael (Yumi) Abrams and the late John Kalmes. Proud grandfather of Mark, Monique, Matthew, Robert, Rachel, Anne Nicole, and Colin. Dear brother of Richard (late Doris), Mary (John) Cook, Anne (James) LaMarre, and the late Thomas (Barbara). Brother in law of Larraine Peterson. Fond uncle of many nieces and nephews. Funeral Wednesday 9:30 am from the Brady - Gill Funeral Home, 16600 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park to St. George Church. Mass 10:00 am. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery. Visitation 6 to 9 pm Tuesday. Longtime active parishoner of Annunciata Catholic Church, Chicago East Side. Former parishoner of Holy Ghost Church, South Holland, IL and current parishoner of St. George Church, Tinley Park, IL., President of Davis Auto Parts, Calumet City, IL. In lieu of flowers donations to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607 appreciated.

 

I will email the museum to see if they might have left him off of their roster by mistake.

 

 

 

 

[Allan H.]

There is no Award Card for the Air Medal for him in NARA. the Service number is clearly an enlisted service number.

 

Allan

[Tonomachi]

This is the response I received from one of the research team members at the mentioned museum who is not a militaria collector like we are :

 

Issues I see with this uniform. There is something about the uniform that looks made up to me. 

1) If the ASN on his footlocker is accurate he was an Enlisted Man not a Flight Officer as most glider pilots were.

2) The Air Medal ribbon has what appears to be three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters and one Silver Oak Leaf Cluster

indicating he flew nine  (9) combat missions. There is no WWII Glider Pilot that flew 9 combat missions that I have ever heard of.

3) The "Captain" insignia rank on the Uniform doesn't go with the Enlisted Man ASN on  the foot locker. 

Glider Pilot Flight Officer's ASNs began with a "T" and 2nd Lt and above began with the capital letter "O". 

4) the right shoulder patch appears to be on the wrong shoulder to me

I personally would not buy these items without some written provenance proving who it belonged to

 

[DKNYC71]

Just to add to the topic, the ribbons are definitely post-war.  Could be even late 40's, but definitely post-war