Seeking records of Seaman 1st Class Milo Nielsen

Dear Ms. Ellison,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We suggest that you request a copy of his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and medical records of enlisted men of the U.S. Navy who were separated from the service after 1885 and prior to 1958 are located at NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO  63138-1002.  To request these records, please mail a completed GSA Standard Form 180 to NPRC.  You also may fax the form to 314-801-9195. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests.

Navy and Marine Corps casualty records from 1940-1989 are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis (RL-SL), P.O. Box 38757, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. For access to these records, please contact RL-SL via letter or email at stl.archives@nara.gov.

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 1/1/1939 - 1/1/1949 in the Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel (Record Group 24) and located records on the USS Phoenix, USS Nashville, and the USS Boise. We  also located the Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships and Stations, 1941 - 1983 in Record Group 24 that includes deck logs of the USS Phoenix, USS Nashville, and USS Boise for April 1944. In addition, we located the World War II Action and Operational Reports, 12/7/1941 - 1946 in the Records of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (Record Group 38) that should include reports of Task Force 75 and the three ships listed above. For access to these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2 & RL-SL. Also, the National Personnel Records Center is is currently only servicing emergency requests and will soon expand its service to include time-sensitive requests from veterans for records needed to secure VA home loan guarantees and employment opportunities.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!

Milo Wilson Nielsen (service number 884 86 44) of Midvale, Utah was inducted 3 July 1943 in Salt Lake, Utah. After training in at the Naval Construction Training Center in Camp Peary, Virginia he was assigned to the 115th Construction Battalion (aka Seabees) on 22 September 1943. The unit had been formed up in Camp Peary and around the end of September was sent to the Advance Base Depot (ABD) in Davisville, Rhode Island (pictured here). In December 1943 they departed Rhode Island and travelled to New Guinea, by way of Panama.  They stationed at Gamadodo Base, Milne Bay, New Guinea. He served there with the unit until his death in New Guinea on 11 April 1944 (some sources say 22 April but that appears to be an error). He died of injuries received in the line of duty. Despite some initial reporting in Utah newspapers stating that he was killed in action, the Navy classified his death as noncombat. He initially was buried in New Guinea, and in 1948 was reburied in Riverton, Utah. He was survived by his parents, his siblings, his wife Mrs. Juanita Wilson, and as his infant son George Milo Nielsen, whom he never met. George, born 28 October 1943, would later enlist in the Air Force and served during the Vietnam War, separating as an Airman Second Class.  George Milo Nielsen passed away 14 March of this year, and is buried in Riverside National Cemetery. His funeral was handled by Arlington Mortuary.

For more details see the links and the attached documents.

Sources for the attached documents are linked.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31042269

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9174/

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2375/
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60965/

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2238/
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2323/

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1143/

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2228/

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/60210/

See also

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57295771/the-bingham-bulletin/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57295203/obituary-for-midvale-seaman/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57295066/the-salt-lake-tribune/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57294899/deseret-news/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57297075/obituary-for-milo-w-nielsen/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57296988/obituary-for-s-lic-milo-nielsen-aged/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57296916/the-midvale-sentinel/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57297207/the-salt-lake-tribune/

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/Seabee/Cruisebooks/wwiicruisebooks/ncb-cruisebooks/115%20%20NCB%20%2019…

https://m.va.gov/gravelocator// (for son George Milo Nielsen)