Treasure Chest Thursday: Dad's military personnel file, part six

I'm sharing the recently-acquired "official military personnel file" (OMPF) for my dad, a WWII U.S. Naval aviator in the Pacific, a few pages at a time.  Click here to see what I've posted so far, and click on any image to enlarge it.

After training as a U.S. Naval cadet in 1944 in Athens, Ga., St. Louis (where he trained in, among others, Boeing/Stearman biplanes like the one pictured below), and Pensacola, Fla., Dad was appointed as an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

 

George Hall, Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, Calif., Oct. 2009.  Photo by J. Morgan, privately held by Liz Hall Morgan.

The memo above concerns appointment as an ensign and reporting to the commandant of the Naval Air Training Center in Pensacola, Fla., for further assignments.  Dad's cohorts at the time included Arthur Dale Gripton, Robert Watrous Guernsey, Jerauld Anthony Gunzelman and Raymond Joseph Happley.

 

Above is the acceptance and oath of office, dated June 23, 1944.  Dad's oath: "I, George Constant Hall, having been appointed an Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve, do hereby accept such appointment and do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

 

Dad's official notice of his new designation, "Naval Aviator (Heavier-than-Air)."  (Meaning he is qualified to fly airplanes, as opposed to balloons or dirigibles, at least according to Wikipedia.)

Find out more about requesting military personnel files here.
Copyright 2010 by Liz Hall Morgan, all rights reserved.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Dad's military personnel file, part five

I'm sharing the recently-acquired military personnel file for my dad, a WWII U.S. Naval aviator in the Pacific, a few pages at a time.  Click here to see what I've posted so far, and click on any image to enlarge it.

Last week, I posted Dad's Navy separation document, which listed some of his training to become a Navy pilot.  Here are a couple of books he used during that training.

Dad had 13 weeks of "Prep Flight" training in Natchitoches, La., where he no doubt used the book pictured below:

Principles of Flying, manual used by George Hall and privately held by the Hall family, La.  Digital photo by Liz Hall Morgan, Jan. 2010.

Next was "WTS" [W---? Training School?] at SLI (now University of Louisiana Lafayette) in Lafayette, La. for 14 weeks.  Here is the log book for that training:

CPT Pilot Rating Book used by George Hall in US Naval aviator training and privately held by the Hall family, La.  Digital photos by Liz Hall Morgan, Jan. 2010.

Dad then trained in Athens, Ga., St. Louis, and Pensacola, Fla. before becoming certified as a naval aviator and receiving a commission.  (More on that to come.)  Dad also recorded his memories on a DVD; once I learn more about DVD editing, I will perhaps post a snippet or two of digital video and let him tell you about his service in his own words.

Find out more about requesting military personnel files here.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Dad's military personnel file, part four

I'm sharing the recently-acquired military personnel file for my dad, a WWII U.S. Naval aviator in the Pacific, a few pages at a time.  Click here to see what I've posted so far, and click on any image to enlarge it.

Although a copy of my dad's military separation document is one of the last items in his OMPF (Official Military Personnel File), I'm posting the scanned original as part four of this series.  Curiously, the file doesn't contain documents detailing his training as an aviator cadet, but this form lists the types of instruction he received with the location and duration of each, along with a wealth of other info. (Have you neglected military records in your own 20th-century research?  You might be surprised at how much info they contain.)  It seemed a logical next post as I discuss Dad's military career chronologically.

Notice of Separation from U.S. Naval Service (Form NAVPERS 553) for George Constant Hall, 21 Dec. 1945, New Orleans, Louisiana.  Digital scan of original privately held by the Hall family, La.  

A military separation document can provide a lot of genealogical information.  This one form contains: 

• my father's full name
• birth date and place
• residence
• date of enlistment
• date of entry into active duty
• date of commission
• date of separation, and
• place of separation.  

It also details the places Dad received specialized training and the length of each course:

• "PrepFlight," Natchitoches, La., 13 weeks
• "WTS," Lafayette, La., 14 weeks
• "PreFlight," Athens, Ga., 12 weeks
• "Primary, St. Louis, 12 weeks
• "Basic," "Instruments," and "Advanced," Pensacola, Fla., 27 weeks.

The form states that he served in Fighting Squadron Six (also known as VF-6).  Dad was a fighter pilot, and the form tells us that he served aboard the USS Hancock, an aircraft carrier stationed out of NAS Hilo, Hawaii.

Also given are dates and details of his previous employment, as a "derrickman (oil)" for the Union Sulphur Co. in Sulphur, La., and his preference (at the time) to work in aviation after leaving the Navy.  The form also lists his formal education (high school) and vocational training (3 months of machinist instruction) as of December, 1945.

Oh, and it tells me that Dad's draft board was in Sulphur, La., where the Hall family had lived since the 1930s.  For World War II draft records, only the Fourth Registration ("the old man's draft") is currently open to the public due to privacy laws.  I can wait for Dad's registration record--I don't expect to find any info I don't already know--but this is a great clue for my "mystery grandpa" Robert Bunyan Hall, who may have qualified for that registration (men who born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897 who were not already in the military -- Grandpa's birth year is listed as 1875, 1877 and 1878 on various forms).  Currently, Ancestry.com does not have the Louisiana records (some records are online there), but they are available on microfilm.  Woo hoo!

While today's military separation forms (detailing release or discharge from active duty) are referred to as "DD Form 214" or "DD-214," the forms had other designations in the past.  The National Archives website states: "Before January 1, 1950, several similar forms were used by the military services, including the WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD, and the NAVCG 553."  Find out more about requesting military personnel files here.

Copyright 2010 by Liz Hall Morgan.  All rights reserved.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Dad's military personnel file, part three

I'm sharing the recently-acquired military personnel file for my dad, a WWII U.S. Naval aviator in the Pacific, a few pages at a time.  Click here to see what I've posted so far, and click on any image to enlarge it.

This week concludes Dad's initial application for Naval aviator training.  A great find was letters of recommendation from his minister, principal and assistant principal in Sulphur, Louisiana.

Rev. T.J. Delaughter of First Baptist Church wrote a nice letter, saying local men "speak of [Dad] as being a good honest boy."  The pastor, I've been told, would stop by occasionally to have coffee with my grandma Elia Legere Hall, whose biscuits he really enjoyed.  Somehow, I doubt many Southern ministers were thin with all the good cooks around back then.  They always had some little something ready to serve with coffee for unexpected visitors; that's just how it was done, certainly among my Cajun relatives.

 

Principal I.D. Bayne's letter.  Interesting to see what the Navy underlined in considering Dad for training: "honest, reliable and sincere" and "courteous, industrious and cooperative."

Asst. Principal John S. Whatley's handwritten letter, on older letterhead.  I like the old fonts.  The Navy recruiter underlined "above the average" and "very cheerful and willing worker," good qualities for a potential pilot.

What treasures! Wonder if other high school grads applying to the Navy required letters of recommendation or just potential aviator cadets?

Find out more about requesting military personnel files here.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Dad's military personnel file, part two

I'm sharing the recently-acquired military personnel file for my dad, a WWII U.S. Naval aviator in the Pacific, a few pages at a time.  Click here to see part one, and click on any image to enlarge it.

These forms continue Dad's application for Naval aviator training.  Apparently there was no birth certificate issued in Lafayette Parish, La., in 1921 for him (The Louisiana Secretary of State's website says that statewide records were not kept until "about 1918." Some parishes were probably slower than others to comply), so his parents signed an affidavit giving Dad's birth date and place (actually in the community of Ossun, but the post office address was Scott).  This is the most handwriting I've ever seen from my "mystery grandpa," Robert Hall.

Dad was not quite 21 and had to have his parents' consent to enlist.  Now this is interesting -- the notary has typed my grandpa's name Robert Lee Hall.  I think this is a misunderstanding of "Robert B.," which Grandpa went by ('B' is for "Bunyan").  I may have to look for him as "Robert Lee Hall," in records now, though, if only to leave no stone unturned.  But certainly there were LOTS of Robert Lee Whozit's in the South--hence, the mis-hearing--and who would make up a middle name like Bunyan--then give it to one of his sons (my uncle John)??!!  Besides, he signed "Robert" on both forms.  I'm probably just wishing for a new Grandpa lead here.

Another fun find in Dad's application file: his Sulphur High School transcript.  He looks like a fairly solid 'B' student, with some C's.  Not surprisingly, his A's are in Geometry and Biology (he studied Bio in college, briefly attended med school, and ended up in the petrochemical industry).  Wonder if I can get his college records?  More fun to come with his recommendation letters next.

Would you turn over in your grave if your kids posted your HS transcript on "the Internets"? :)

Treasure Chest Thursday: Dad's military personnel file, part one

I received my late dad's military personnel file in the mail last week.  I knew it would have a lot of informative yet dry facts, but I also have found some surprising and fun things in it, so I thought I'd share a few pages at a time.  It was worth the two-to-three-month wait for the price: free!  (Contact the National Archives if you'd like to request your relative's records.  Be sure to ask for the entire file if you are requesting records for family history purposes.)

Here are a few of the items (click on any photo in my blog to enlarge it):

Some of the most interesting things were in Dad's initial application to become a Naval Reserve aviation cadet: a handwritten letter from Dad, recommendation letters, the most handwriting of my Grandpa Hall's (on a form) that I've ever seen, and dad's high school transcript, not to mention his photo at age 20, looking a lot like my nephew (those ears! those curls!).

Dad graduated in 1940 and, knowing the draft was coming, thought he'd join the Navy after hearing about it from his brother Bob.  Then he saw a newspaper ad saying high school graduates could apply for the Navy's aviation training, and that was it for him.

George Hall, December 2008, National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL, with the ad that started it all.  Photo courtesy of my sis.

For more, read my Part 2 post here.

Copyright 2010 by Liz Hall Morgan