I've been doing a search to learn more about my father who passed away in 1994. I always thought he fought in WWII, however my search revealed a draft card dated 1946! I'm quite confused. Any help would be appreciated. He was born April 11, 1915. I'm attaching said draft card. Thank-you
James,
Here is some additional information, looks like he was a Master Sgt. within the National Guard probably in Michigan somewhere. Little research that I conducted shows he spent 20 years in the US Army and retired as a CW2 Chief Warrant Officer2. When requesting his records please make sure you include both service numbers.
SIGNORELLI, PATRICK L., 79, of Clearwater, died Saturday (Nov. 12, 1994) at Morton Plant Hospital, Clearwater. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and came here in 1978 from Sterling Heights, Mich. He served 20 years in the Army and was a veteran of World War II. He was a member of Top of the World Golf Association and Billiard Hall, Clearwater. Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Alba; a son, James A., Chicago; a daughter, Susan Slaw, Dallas; and a brother, Anthony, Detroit. National Cremation Society, Largo.
| CW2 US ARMY | ||
| WORLD WAR II | ||
| DATE OF BIRTH: 04/10/1915 | ||
| DATE OF DEATH: 11/12/1994 | ||
| BURIED AT: SECTION 58 ROW 9 SITE 23 |  | |
| BAY PINES NATIONAL CEMETERY | ||
| P.O. BOX 477 BAY PINES, FL 33744 | ||
| (727) 319-6479 | ||
1967 Army Registers: (Please click on image to enlarge) Retired 9/30/1960
| Field Title | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | 12006354 | 12006354 |
| NAME | SIGNORELLI#PATRICK#L#### | SIGNORELLI#PATRICK#L#### |
| RESIDENCE: STATE | 62 | MICHIGAN |
| RESIDENCE: COUNTY | 163 | WAYNE |
| PLACE OF ENLISTMENT | 6228 | DETROIT MICHIGAN |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY | 06 | 06 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH | 04 | 04 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR | 46 | 46 |
| GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION | M#SG | Master Sergeant |
| GRADE: CODE | 1 | Master Sergeant |
| BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION | NO# | No branch assignment |
| BRANCH: CODE | 02 | No branch assignment |
| FIELD USE AS DESIRED | # | # |
| TERM OF ENLISTMENT | 3 | Enlistment for Hawaiian Department |
| LONGEVITY | ### | ### |
| SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL | 7 | National Guard |
| NATIVITY | 23 | NEW YORK |
| YEAR OF BIRTH | 15 | 15 |
| RACE AND CITIZENSHIP | 1 | White, citizen |
| EDUCATION | 3 | 3 years of high school |
| CIVILIAN OCCUPATION | 457 | Skilled occupations in production of rubber goods |
| MARITAL STATUS | 2 | Married |
| COMPONENT OF THE ARMY | 1 | Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men) |
| CARD NUMBER | 9 | 9 |
| BOX NUMBER | 0076 | 0076 |
| FILM REEL NUMBER | 1.69# | 1.69# |
Hope this helps,
Elliot Schneider
Thanks Elliot,
I'm still a little confused.
According to what you sent me, my father was enlisted in April of 1946. This was a year after WWI ended, yet he always told me he fought in WWII?? Adding to the confusion is the fact that according to the above, he was enlisted as a Master Sergeant? How could that be?
Any further help would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks much,
Jim Signorelli
James,
It is very possible that he was in the Organized Reserve Corps (ORC) or even in the National Guard (NG) during WW2 but most folks in his position most likely would have been federalized. I'm not sure why they made him fill out a draft card in 1946.
I know that some men re-enlisted overseas and stayed during the Occupation of Japan and Occupation of Germany. He most likely could have participated in the war efforts after the main combat operations.
Men serving in this capacity were issued the Army Occupation Medal for the following:
To be awarded the Army of Occupation Medal, a service member was required to have performed at least thirty consecutive days of military duty within a designated geographical area of military occupation. The Army of Occupation Medal was presented with a campaign clasp, denoting either European or Asian service, depending on the region in which occupation service had been performed. Campaign clasps were worn on the full sized medal only with no corresponding device when wearing the Army of Occupation Medal as a ribbon on a military uniform.[4]
In addition to the Germany clasp, for those service members who performed 92 consecutive days of military duty during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949, the Berlin Airlift Device is authorized as a device to the Army of Occupation Medal.[5] (If further eligible, persons could also be awarded the Medal for Humane Action.)
Feb 9, 2021 10:44 AM
Dear Mr. Signorelli,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
If he served in the Army during WWII, we suggest that you request a copy of his 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 1959 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center 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. Veterans and their next of kin also may use eVetRecs to request records. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NPRC is closed except for emergencies. Currently, NPRC will continue servicing requests ONLY associated with medical treatments, burials, and homeless veterans seeking admittance to a homeless shelter. If your request is urgent, please see Emergency Requests and Deadlines. Please refrain from submitting non-emergency requests such as replacement medals, administrative corrections, or records research until NPRC returns to pre-COVID staffing levels. Please check archives.gov/veterans for updates to the NPRC operating hours and status. We apologize for any inconvenience.
As indicated in his enlistment records posted by Mr. Schneider, your father was in the National Guard in or before 1946. For access to personnel records of non-active duty Army National Guard enlisted personnel and officers, please contact the Adjutant General of Michigan via their website at http://minationalguard.dodlive.mil.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!