Help finding pictures of my grandpa

[Annkwink]

Hello!

I was hoping someone might be able to help me in finding pictures of my grandpa from when he was stationed at the Schofield barracks in Hawaii from 1926-1928. I know he was a cook. His name was 

Thomas Joseph Kwiecinski 

Born November 3rd, 1899. 
My dad lost his enlistment photo that he cherished that was framed with a gold leaf frame when his sister died and her husbands family cut off all contact. It would be so cool to find something for him. Any suggestions where I could find some? 

[Annkwink]

I forgot to add he was in the Army

[THAT GUY]

On 6/26/2024 at 5:04 PM, Annkwink said:

Hello!

I was hoping someone might be able to help me in finding pictures of my grandpa from when he was stationed at the Schofield barracks in Hawaii from 1926-1928. I know he was a cook. His name was 

Thomas Joseph Kwiecinski 

Born November 3rd, 1899. 
My dad lost his enlistment photo that he cherished that was framed with a gold leaf frame when his sister died and her husbands family cut off all contact. It would be so cool to find something for him. Any suggestions where I could find some? 

 

Hello!

 

It may be hard to find a photo but you could always get lucky finding a yardlong photo from the time period. I've gotten lucky finding photos of my Great-Grandfather from the same time period but he was a long serving Officer so he made his way around a little more.

 

I found your Grandfather in one of the unit muster rolls for July of 1926. He shows up near the bottom right. He was in Company G of the 21st Infantry Regiment and it appears he may have mustered out in mid 1929, not 1928. 

 

Sam

 

 

 

[Annkwink]

Wow thanks! I know he wasn’t in long and didn’t do much but we always heard a story about how he spotted a threat near a class of young kiddos from a school nearby and protected them. 

[kiaiokalewa]

That might be your most useful tidbit of information.  The Army Soldier's Medal was give to those  individual that conducted such acts of heroism that involved citizens.  The monthly Army Recruiting News from the era frequently featured these awardee's with self portraits of themselves wearing their awards.  It was quite a unique recruitment tool that the Army used to its full advantage.  See examples of what I'm talking about from the May 1940 issue of the Recruiting News.

 

[kiaiokalewa]

[Annkwink]

Oh awesome!! Ok I’ll search for those! Thank you 

[Annkwink]

Here is a watch they gave him. I just asked my dad again. He killed a Japanese sniper during guard duty. 

[kiaiokalewa]

Oh, now that's really interesting and I'm almost positive my Dad aka: Wailuna will chime in on this breaking development.  In the mean time you should really should exercise using the public library JStar or JStory online index system to find the Honolulu Advertiser news story covering this extraordinary event.  Prewar incidents like this weren't exactly common and was far too early have any type of official cover up.  If you have a time frame when your grandfather did his amazing deed it would help me narrow down my search in the collection of Recruitment News periodicals that I have in my holdings.  

[Annkwink]

Oh ok thank you!! I’ll look into those too!

unfortunately we do not have a date. ☹️

I was bummed it wasn’t on the watch. My dad has some old Christmas meal menus that listed the names and in 1927 he was suddenly under Private First Class so I wasn’t sure if that helped him get promoted? Attaching what he sent me!
 

Kwiecinski Thomas Joseph Scholfield baracks 26_27.pdf

[Annkwink]

 

I didn’t realize my dad had a long picture of the company. 
 

Any idea what the T.H. Is?

[Annkwink]

I contacted the national archives of still photos and they told me in 1973 a fire at the NPRC unfortunately destroyed a large number of US Army and US Air Force personnel records.

[atb]

40 minutes ago, Annkwink said:

 

I didn’t realize my dad had a long picture of the company. 
 

Any idea what the T.H. Is?

Territory of Hawaii. From before it was a state.

[kiaiokalewa]

From the attached files

[kiaiokalewa]

Bio from within the menu of S.B.

[kiaiokalewa]

Man, Waikiki sure doesn't look anything like old picture and both look like locations on my Rock.  That looks like Rainnow Falls in Hilo, and Black Sands Beach down in Kau!

[Niemannnnn]

of help

21st Infantry Regiment – 25th Infantry Division Association

https://www.25thida.org/units/infantry/21st-infantry-regiment/

[Edward C Bell]

hopefully you can find something!