Grouping Help

[ChrisV]

Hello,

 

I am trying to figure out if the below grouping makes sense. I don't have experience when it comes to the research side and was wondering if I could get some help. I was searching on the forum in regards to research and read some posts talking about NARA and I have been trying to navigate in that system. I was finally able to get into the Family Search engine under WWI in NARA. I have been able to pull up an enlistment document and several muster rolls for Paul Torosian. It seems like there is only muster rolls in this Family Search engine in NARA under WWI. What is challenging, is the muster rolls don't have a lot of information. Some are just his name and SN. Some have a little bit more next to his name eluding to being in the signal corps. I see some movement in California after the war and his wallet has some documents showing that. I am also seeing that he was in China and the Philippines by some of the muster rolls that actually have a heading. I cant find anything eluding to him being attached to a Division or an MP. Is there another system outside of NARA that would provide more information that I should look into? 

 

Paul Torosian

SN - 1636328

Enlisted - March 30th 1917?

DOB - June 21st 1886

[ChrisV]

Here is a muster roll in 1917

[ChrisV]

Here is one from 1922. 

[ChrisV]

Here is one from 1922 where the heading looks like it is in the Philippines and it references him in China under his name. There are other muster rolls with a China heading. 

[bertmedals]

Depending on the provenance for the unnamed material it could all be legitmate.

 

There was a Paul H. Torosian with the serial number you have in the AEF.  He deployed as a replacement in June 1918 and was assigned to L company 319th Infantry, 80th Division returning to the US in May1918.  That man apparently reenlisted and deployed again in 1920 to Service Co. No. 10 possibly attached to the 15th Infantry then serving in China.  Looks like he was in the Signal Corps at that point. I am not familair with the organization of US Army forces in China at that time so the organizations may not be precisely correct.  Haven't encountered anything about him being a bugler.  He redeployed from China to the US in 1922.  Relevant rosters, etc., follow.

Dennis

[ChrisV]

23 minutes ago, bertmedals said:

Depending on the provenance for the unnamed material it could all be legitmate.

 

There was a Paul H. Torosian with the serial number you have in the AEF.  He deployed as a replacement in June 1918 and was assigned to L company 319th Infantry, 80th Division returning to the US in May1918.  That man apparently reenlisted and deployed again in 1920 to Service Co. No. 10 possibly attached to the 15th Infantry then serving in China.  Looks like he was in the Signal Corps at that point. I am not familair with the organization of US Army forces in China at that time so the organizations may not be precisely correct.  Haven't encountered anything about him being a bugler.  He redeployed from China to the US in 1922.  Relevant rosters, etc., follow.

Dennis

Dennis,

 

I cant thank you enough for this help. Where are the troop transport or passenger lists that you found normally located? Is there a particular place those documents are found? Those documents always seem to have more information as to what division, company, etc. 

 

It looks like the signal corps collar disk and 80th Division SSI make sense so far. I will have to work on figuring out if the MP brassard makes sense. 

 

It looks like he was a part of the Woodrow Wilson Chapter No. 15 Military Order of the Purple Heart. There is a folding table card with the organization and his name on it. Along with a little pamphlet on the Purple Heart and some small Purple Heart Bar pins. 

 

Regards,

Chris

[bertmedals]

Chris,

My pleasure. I find the passenger rosters and draft cards on Ancestry.com & Fold3.

 

I agree with your assessment. If he was wounded there very likely will be some record of that. There could be a newspaper report of it. There could be something in a regimental or division history. There are other sources as well. I'll do another sweep and see if anything is out there.

Dennis

[bertmedals]

BTW, you may want to look at both the 318th and 319th Infantry Regiments.  My old eyes are playing with me.  It looks like 319th for his name on the incoming passenger roster but the rest of the men are listed in L Company 318th Infantry.  Could be a typo.

[bertmedals]

The 318th Infantry published a regimental history after the war.  It has a list of men wounded in action.  Paul Torosian is not on that list.  The history also has a roster of men of the regiment who "sailed to France".  He is not on that roster either.  However, I take "sailed to France" as meaning men who deployed with the regiment.  Since he was a replacement he (and the other replacements) may not have been included in that roster.

[ChrisV]

2 hours ago, bertmedals said:

Chris,

My pleasure. I find the passenger rosters and draft cards on Ancestry.com & Fold3.

 

I agree with your assessment. If he was wounded there very likely will be some record of that. There could be a newspaper report of it. There could be something in a regimental or division history. There are other sources as well. I'll do another sweep and see if anything is out there.

Dennis

Dennis,

 

Thank you so much for your time and pointing me in the right direction. I will look into Ancestry.com & Fold3. 

 

I could be wrong but the Military Order of the Purple Heart Woodrow Wilson Chapter 15 looks like a nonprofit organization and maybe he was a part of that organization being a Veteran. I am assuming the Purple Heart Bar pins could be items from his time with that nonprofit. 

 

I have some more work to do but am very thankful for your help. 

 

Regards,

Chris

[bertmedals]

Happy to help.  I wouldn't give up on the Purple Heart just yet.  There are other sources that may be able to confirm or deny it. 

[ChrisV]

23 minutes ago, bertmedals said:

Happy to help.  I wouldn't give up on the Purple Heart just yet.  There are other sources that may be able to confirm or deny it. 

 

Very true Dennis. Some more research needs to be done to bring clarity if the items could be there due to him being awarded a Purple Heart or maybe he was a part of that particular chapter nonprofit Purple Heart group. 

 

Here are some items from his wallet that coincide with the reenlistment and redeploy after WWI in the signal company. 

 

Mess Table Card on the Cunard Steam Ship Company

U.S.A.T. CAMBRAI Gate Pass - Looks like this was a transport ship launched Dec. 1919. Transferred to the War Department in Nov. 1920. Named in honor of the U.S. Army's participation in the Battle of Cambrai in WWI. 

Panama Electric Company Fare Ticket 

Business Card for a Jeweler in San Francisco 

 

Regards,

Chris

[ChrisV]

I also found a receipt to Aubert's Diamond Palace from November 7th 1942. The top letterhead is very light for the Aubert's Diamond Palace. Paul Torosian would have been 56 at that time.