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Trying to find a photo of my grandfather


Ann-Marie Rennie
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True, but unfortunately, his records were probably burned in the 1973 fire.  I would check with Roanoke city clerk or vital statistics office that may have records.

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Just fyi - this is the deserters pay card the OP is referring to - I hadn't seen one before - from ancestry -

 

image.png.d747959f70c07945210995d66ee8a490.png

 

There is also a hospital admission card that lists his military branch as "unassigned" - here's the info -

 

Name:  Robert V Payne

Rank:  Enlisted Man

Admission Date:  Aug 1944

Discharge Date:  Aug 1944

Military Branch:  Unassigned and Assignments (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Diagnosis:  First Location: Body, generally; Causative Agent: None or Unknown

Type of Injury:  Casualty, battle

Injured in Line of Duty:  In line of duty

Type of Discharge:  Died

Service Number:  20363396

 

 

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Ann-Marie Rennie

Thankyou so much, yes we had managed to retrieve that information….

what do you make of the unassigned? Xx

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Ann-Marie,

I was able to find his gravesite today but unfortunately there is no grave marker. I am still looking for some of my records that may or may not have more information on your grandfather. Someone else mentioned contacting the Roanoke City clerks office about his records. I have been to the clerks office a few times and they have records on service members but they strictly deny access to them. You might have more luck as a family member but I've never been able to get a single bit of information out of the clerks office. I plan to stop by the Virginia Room this weekend to pull some unrelated files and I will peek through the local school annuals to see if I can find another photo of your grandfather. 

-Ryan

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22 hours ago, Ann-Marie Rennie said:

Thankyou so much, yes we had managed to retrieve that information….

what do you make of the unassigned? Xx

I would say that means they don't know.

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18 hours ago, Ann-Marie Rennie said:

Thankyou so much Ryan.

That is very kind of you.

Did you lay the flowers? Xx

Yes, I wouldn't have felt right about visiting the grave without leaving something to honor his memory. Especially since there is no grave marker. 

 

I found the two books I was looking for but unfortunately he is not in either one of them. Both are very incomplete though. The Young American Patriots book series was something you could pay to be featured in, I believe. The Roanoke Soldiers Album only has information about a few dozen service members. However, it is only Volume 1, and there may be others out there. 

 

I will try to get down to the Virginia Room soon and see if there is anything else to be found on him locally. 

 

-Ryan

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Brian Dentino

Cudo's to all on this thread who are putting in time and effort to help Ann-Marie and I for one have enjoyed following along as this search continues.  This is a prime example of how great this forum, and the people that make it up, are for this hobby and all of our dedication to honor those who have served.  Even if we have no connection/objects to an individual soldier/sailor/Marine/Mariner/etc. we still have awesome people on here that are willing to help out others.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I so love being a long time member and lurker here on this forum.  Well done so far, and am sure that the whole story may be found with the willing help of all who have contributed.  Just wanted to express my appreciation to all who demonstrate the true example of what it is to be a historian/collector on this forum!

A humble thank you for a job well done and excellent example of the spirit of this forum.

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Ann-Marie Rennie

Good morning,

Ive been blown away with the kindness and help received by the members in this forum, my mums 78 and knew so little of her father and this forum has helped so much, along with GITrace, Joe Balkoski and Facebook 

Thankyou to all of you, it’s meant the world to her. Xx

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Ann-Marie Rennie

Thankyou so much Ryan,

To leave flowers is so touching, I’ll show mum today.

she’s asked about us putting a headstone up but unsure if the process? Xx

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Ann-Marie,

 

Have you attempted to get your Grandfather’s records from the archive? It’s slow going right now due to the pandemic (and honestly every request I put in for family members usually took at least 4-6 months anyway) but it’s a good place to start for trying to learn more. You can also request replacements for any medals or decorations he was entitled too. Here is the website. https://www.archives.gov/veterans/replace-medals.html

 

His records may have been damaged in the 1973 fire buts it’s possible the Virginia VA or a local government agency might have other paperwork. I’m unfamiliar with KIA paperwork though so  I’m not sure what the VA might have. Worth a try to reach out. Some state VAs are super helpful. Some less so. But since your Mom is a direct descendent that should help. Hope this helps and doesn’t just replicate your own efforts. Best of luck with everything and i’ll Happily try to provide more answers if you have specific questions.

 

Friar

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Ann-Marie Rennie

Good evening Friar,

I have requested his records but heard nothing yet but it is early days, do fingers crossed,

Thankyou so much for your help,

Ann Marie. Xx

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41 minutes ago, Ann-Marie Rennie said:

Good evening Friar,

I have requested his records but heard nothing yet but it is early days, do fingers crossed,

Thankyou so much for your help,

Ann Marie. Xx

 

Glad to hear you’ve started the process. Hopefully your experience will prove faster than my current one. I helped my father-in-law put in for his records back in Sept 2020. I received an email that the request had been received in July of 2021 (which makes sense since the Archives closed completely for a while due to the pandemic). When I put the tracking in number in their website, the request is still showing as simply “received”. I found it a slow process even before the pandemic, so don’t lose hope. I look forward to hearing about what you discover.

 

Friar

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