Seeking help reconciling two records of my father

[Herodotus]

My dad died when I was seven, so I could never ask him about WWII. He kept a trunk, the old fashioned kind, with brass latches and lock, on the top of a high set of shelves in the garage. I remember him bringing it down once, and going through the contents with me and my brother. He came to a black knife in a sheath and said, I took that off a dead German soldier.” But he never explained that, nor spoke of his experience. Among his things are an “Identification Card”, stating:

”Headquarters Ninetieth Division 

Camp Berkeley, Texas” with the red intersecting T-O insignia centered over it; below that is typed his name, rank and serial number. Below that it states:

”A-T Co., 358th Infantry”.

 

The mystery is that his military portrait shows with wings, that he was in the Army Air Corps, and his separation payers show he was trained as an Ariel Gunner. 

I would appreciate it if anyone here could help me reconcile these two descriptions of my dad’s service.

[jumpship]

The 358th IR (90th ID) was at Camp Barkeley, TX off and on from its organization there during Mar 42 until Sep 43, according to Stanton. The regiment departed for England during Mar 44.

 

If you can share his servce number and confirm his name, maybe we can help answer your question (with more than just conjecture).
 

Dan

[Herodotus]

Thank you, so much for offering. I’ve been in touch with several sources who said that the files from the WWII era were destroyed.

 

Is there a way to send you this information directly via email? If not, I’ll send it here. I’m a little cautious about putting information like this on a  website. 

[jumpship]

42 minutes ago, Herodotus said:

Thank you, so much for offering. I’ve been in touch with several sources who said that the files from the WWII era were destroyed.

 

Is there a way to send you this information directly via email? If not, I’ll send it here. I’m a little cautious about putting information like this on a  website. 

PM sent

 

Dan

[Marshallj]

1973 was the year of the big fire at the records center. Many, many WW2 personnel records were destroyed including my dad’s. I try not to think about it because it really ticks me off. The good news is there are other ways to put together your dad’s history and there are many folks on the forum that can help you with that. 

[Herodotus]

I’m sorry, I don’t understand 

[Herodotus]

Yes. The account of the fire I heard from a valid source.

 

thank you

[Herodotus]

Is it safe to put his ID card here?

[Herodotus]

Here is my dad’s ID card. Thank you all for the help.

 

 

[jumpship]

Be advised that morning reports at the NARA site, where most of the information below was found, are not available for after Dec 44 at this time. Also, I was unable to find very much about him on ancestry, FOLD3 or Newspapersdotcom; maybe some other folks on here can find more at these sites or others. Right now, unfortunately, it only provides a partial answer to your question

 

He left the Anti-Tank Co 358th IR in TX on 4 Sep 43 (en route to the Air Corps [AC] via a temp attachment to a field artillery battalion):

He may have previously applied to the Air Corps/Army Air Forces/taken a test(s)?

 

On 7 Sep 43, he arrived at Sheppard Field, TX for basic Army Air Forces (AAF) training after arriving from the AAF Induction Station, Dallas, TX:

 

He was assigned to a pre-flight class on 29 Sep 43 at Wichita, KS. He was considered an aviation student and not an aviation cadet.

 

 

On , he was 28 jan 44, he was sent to Santa Ana Army Air Base, CA for further training:

 

Mar 44, still at Santa Ana AAB, CA for further training:

 

 

Continued training during Apr 44 at SAAAB:

 

On 17 Jun 44, as a bombardier student, he was transferred from SAAB, CA to the AAF Flexible Gunnery School at Kingman Army Air Field, AZ for additional training:

 

On 5 Aug 44, having completed the Flexible Gunnery School at Kingman, AZ, he was transferred to Carlsbad Army Air Field, NM for additional training:

 

During Sep 44, he takes an extended period of leave (returning to CAAF after 25 days) from his training; leading me to wonder if there was an issue at home he had to deal with? No additional documents were found at NARA for him (by me, at least) during my search. 

 

I'm wondering if, in the photos(s) you have of him with his wings, he is wearing officer rank (that may indicate he was commissioned as a bombardier)? I did not find any documents showing him as an officer (with a new service number). To the best of my knowledge, there were no enlisted AAF bombardiers after 1942.

 

I hope this helps.

Dan

 

[Herodotus]

Dan, 

You solved the mystery which no one else has been able to do. Thank you! Your response was completely documented with images of records. And, I see you hustled and didn’t rest until you completed the research. You sent it all to me at midnight.

How did you do this? You explained how it was that my dad was in the “Tough Ombres” through their extensive training, but was reassigned to train for the AAC as gunner/bombardier. The wings on his jacket, I believe, are for cadet. Interestingly, there were bars Abby his prized possessions, but, like the larger silver wings, were not attached to his uniform. 
Thank you, again. 
 

 

[Herodotus]

Dan,

 

You said more could be known from his discharge papers. I’m attaching them. I’m also attaching his military portrait. My brother had kept the coat in the picture. In the pocket was the T-O patch from the 90th Division, along with two more mysteries: silver wings, and a set of 2LT bars. Clearly, his rank at discharge was Cpl. The gold wings in the portrait indicate student or cadet; is that correct?

 

 

 

[jumpship]

Based on his discharge form (WD AGO 53-55) and the documents above, it appears that he did not complete the bombadier course at Carlsbad AAF, NM and remained as a Cpl with an enlisted MOS of 611 (Aerial Gunner). Based on his decorations, it does not look like he ever left the USA. 

 

The uniform in his portrait is that of an Army Air Forces officer (with the gold wings on his lapels indicating the AAF branch).

 

I’ll defer to the experts on here as to whether that would have ever been worn by AAF enlisted students or if it, like the 2nd Lt bars and silver wings found in his pockets, was an indicator of his hopes for a future commissioning.

 

Dan