Dog tag found in France in 2023 : JAMES D GODDARD A0857972

 CharlieBrowne 

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

If you have a dog tag(s) and want to know what to do with it/them, please refer to the History Hub blog titled How to Return a Veteran's Dog Tags. 

We searched the National Archives (NARA) Access to Archival Databases (AAD) and located the World War II Army Enlistment Records database that includes one file related to an individual named Goddard, James D. Since this man was born in 1920 in Illinois, he may be the same soldier Lisa Sharik listed in her helpful response. Many soldiers enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and again during the Korean War. If he left service and then reenlisted, he might also have two different service numbers. While we cannot confirm whether or not this is the same soldier whose dog tag you found, it is certainly possible that it is him.

You may use the information in the enlistment record, from Lisa Sharik, and from the dog tag if you would like to request a copy of James D. Goddard’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after October 1912 and before 1960 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. Please complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. If there is any information requested by the form that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file if it survived the fire. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests. 

For a complete copy of a personnel file, in Section II, on the line for "Other" (Specify), write "Complete copy of every page of personnel file - not an extract."

Before he enlisted in World War II, James Douglas Goddard also registered for the selective service (i.e., the draft). We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, October 16, 1940–March 31, 1947 in the Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975 (Record Group 147) that includes a draft registration card for James D. Goddard (born 21 March 1920 in Illinois). These records have been digitized and may be viewed online using Ancestry.com, one of the U.S. National Archives’ digitization partners. Please be aware that there may be a fee for using Ancestry. Instead, please check for access at your local library, as many library systems subscribe to genealogical sites like this and make them free for their patrons to access.

You may also want to request James D. Goddard’s Classification History (SSS Form 102). The Classification History may contain: name; date of birth; classification and date of mailing notice; date of appeal to the board; date and results of armed forces physical examination; entry into active duty or civilian work in lieu of induction (may include date, branch of service entered and mode of entry, such as enlisted or ordered); date of separation from active duty or civilian work; and general remarks. Please complete a Form NA-13172 to request a search of these records and email it to the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) at stl.archives@nara.gov. We recommend that you attach the draft registration card, as it includes information which will make it easier to locate his classification history. For more information, see Selective Service Records.

We also located the Award Cards, 1942 - 1963 for the U.S. Army Air Force/Air Force that includes an Air Medal Decoration card for Goddard, James D. (see image 935). These records have been digitized and may be viewed online using the Catalog links provided.

Finally, if you would like to learn more about American dog tags, we suggest that you review the U.S. Department of Defense website Dog Tag History: How the Tradition & Nickname Started, as well as the articles DOG TAG REFERENCE and U.S. Army WW2 Dog Tags.

We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at the Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II), please email us directly at archives2reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further. 

We hope this is helpful for your research! 

Sincerely,

Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)

[RR2RR 23-47039-RS]

 CharlieBrowne 

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

If you have a dog tag(s) and want to know what to do with it/them, please refer to the History Hub blog titled How to Return a Veteran's Dog Tags. 

We searched the National Archives (NARA) Access to Archival Databases (AAD) and located the World War II Army Enlistment Records database that includes one file related to an individual named Goddard, James D. Since this man was born in 1920 in Illinois, he may be the same soldier Lisa Sharik listed in her helpful response. Many soldiers enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and again during the Korean War. If he left service and then reenlisted, he might also have two different service numbers. While we cannot confirm whether or not this is the same soldier whose dog tag you found, it is certainly possible that it is him.

You may use the information in the enlistment record, from Lisa Sharik, and from the dog tag if you would like to request a copy of James D. Goddard’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after October 1912 and before 1960 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. In many cases where personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service will be issued. Please complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. If there is any information requested by the form that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file if it survived the fire. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests. 

For a complete copy of a personnel file, in Section II, on the line for "Other" (Specify), write "Complete copy of every page of personnel file - not an extract."

Before he enlisted in World War II, James Douglas Goddard also registered for the selective service (i.e., the draft). We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, October 16, 1940–March 31, 1947 in the Records of the Selective Service System, 1926–1975 (Record Group 147) that includes a draft registration card for James D. Goddard (born 21 March 1920 in Illinois). These records have been digitized and may be viewed online using Ancestry.com, one of the U.S. National Archives’ digitization partners. Please be aware that there may be a fee for using Ancestry. Instead, please check for access at your local library, as many library systems subscribe to genealogical sites like this and make them free for their patrons to access.

You may also want to request James D. Goddard’s Classification History (SSS Form 102). The Classification History may contain: name; date of birth; classification and date of mailing notice; date of appeal to the board; date and results of armed forces physical examination; entry into active duty or civilian work in lieu of induction (may include date, branch of service entered and mode of entry, such as enlisted or ordered); date of separation from active duty or civilian work; and general remarks. Please complete a Form NA-13172 to request a search of these records and email it to the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) at stl.archives@nara.gov. We recommend that you attach the draft registration card, as it includes information which will make it easier to locate his classification history. For more information, see Selective Service Records.

We also located the Award Cards, 1942 - 1963 for the U.S. Army Air Force/Air Force that includes an Air Medal Decoration card for Goddard, James D. (see image 935). These records have been digitized and may be viewed online using the Catalog links provided.

Finally, if you would like to learn more about American dog tags, we suggest that you review the U.S. Department of Defense website Dog Tag History: How the Tradition & Nickname Started, as well as the articles DOG TAG REFERENCE and U.S. Army WW2 Dog Tags.

We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at the Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II), please email us directly at archives2reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further. 

We hope this is helpful for your research! 

Sincerely,

Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)

[RR2RR 23-47039-RS]

You guys are amazing !! and much more efficient in searching! (I sware we did try hard!!) -  I will surely follow-up with all tracks you gave !! Thanks a million ! we will keep you updated !!

Oscar and Charlie