A 2014 Resolution

My 2014 New Year’s Resolution: 

I will continue to WRITE my family stories using information that I already have on ALL ancestors I’ve been researching, no matter how little or how much material I have about them.  I will concentrate on my closest relatives first, and work backwards through my tree.  While I’m writing about my ancestors, I will allow myself to continue researching on only ONE of them during the process.  I will finally organize the three filing cabinets of notes into interesting, readable notebooks.

So, I continue my writing, and my researching, about my father’s life (Ray Rowe). 

A previous post discussed my efforts to obtain information about his high school years (which was most successful), and that I was going to work on compiling his military life next.  I have his discharge and other separation papers that have given me some information to start working with.  But not knowing what might be missing, and wanting to write a more descriptive story about his military service during World War II, I wrote to the National Archives for his full military personnel file.  I received it a couple of weeks ago and am just now starting to collect and subsequently understand all the information it contains to write about my father's years in the service.

The first document in the file is hand-printed (it looks like my father’s printing, but then, it may not be) that specifically states what classes he took in high school and for how many years.  So already I’m adding information to his high school story that I never knew before.  I also now know I need to look in Cadillac, Michigan for his grammar school records and information, not Gladwin, where I “thought” he attended school before going to the West Branch High School.  I also got information about his summer job, his hobbies, and his sporting abilities. 

In Training

Ray Rowe, USMC

Dad enlisted in the Marine Corps on 6 November 1942 at Detroit, Michigan.  He was a minor who had to obtain written permission from his parents to join; the notarized documents were signed on 4 August 1942.  He also had to have two personal references stating he had the qualifications to serve, both references were obtained on 3 August 1942.  After enlistment, he was sent to San Diego, California via train, leaving Saginaw, Michigan at 10:30 p.m. on 6 November 1942.  He arrived in San Diego, California at 10:15 a.m. on 10 November 1942.

What information have I found in his military personnel file?

·      A personal description and photos

·      Birth date

·      Grammar school attended

·      High school attended and subjects taken

·      Sports abilities

·      Hobbies

·      Occupations

·      Enlistment papers

·      Position and rankings in the military, including dates

·      Training administered in the military, including grades

·      Job descriptions while in the military

·      Addresses he lived at when enlisted, during service, and when discharged

·      Names and addresses of parents

·      Character references from acquaintances

·      Marriage and dependent information, including dates and other details

·      Mustering out information and payments

·      Fingerprints

·      Signatures

·      Pay records

And as I read it more thoroughly, I may find information I have not listed.

So, remember, no matter how much you think you know about your ancestor’s military service, or even about their life before, during, and after their service, obtaining their official personnel file from the National Archives may add to your knowledge about their personal life as well as their military one.

It can verify information you already have. 

It may create doubt about what you thought you knew so now you have to dig deeper for more facts to confirm what really is correct. 

You may be surprised. 

You may be disappointed. 

But you will have another piece of your ancestor’s puzzle. 

And you will probably find yourself looking for another piece that it alluded to.