US draft registration - Help needed

[Jaeger6]

 

 

 

Last week I found information regarding a relative of mine who served in the US army during WWI. I have a copy of his registration card and the very basic question: Can anyone tell me how I might get more information about the unit Ernest served in?

In the US census of 1930 Ernest was listed in the "Veterans" column as not a veteran. Had he never served in the army after his registration or does the term "veteran" only refer to people who were wounded?

 

Markus

 

[ss002d6252]

In US terms I believe Veteran is used to refer to anyone who has served and left the military, whether by way off injury or usual routes of discharge.

 

A lot of the US records were destroyed in a fire in the 1970's so they can be hard to research.

 

There may be something which survives at state level but, looking at the date of 9 Dec 1918,  I suspect he was never actually called up after registration.  The state archive doesn't seem to have anything obvious but you might have some luck if you contact them - https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/archives/archivesdb/soldiers/#soldiersearch

Craig

[healdav]

4 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

In US terms I believe Veteran is used to refer to anyone who has served and left the military, whether by way off injury or usual routes of discharge.

 

A lot of the US records were destroyed in a fire in the 1970's so they can be hard to research.

 

There may be something which survives at state level but, looking at the date of 9 Dec 1918,  I suspect he was never actually called up after registration.  The state archive doesn't seem to have anything obvious but you might have some luck if you contact them - https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/archives/archivesdb/soldiers/#soldiersearch

Craig

Don't be too quick in saying that this man would not have been called up as the date is so late.

I have come across several whose cards have this date, and yet at least two were killed in action, and quite a number of others were i the army but don't appear to have finished basic training before the end of the war.

[ss002d6252]

The fact he stated he wasn't a veteran would support the no service idea but ultimately it will come down to digging further.

 

Out of curiosity, for a dec 1918 registration card where were they serving to have been killed in action?

 

Craig

[healdav]

16 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

The fact he stated he wasn't a veteran would support the no service idea but ultimately it will come down to digging further.

 

Out of curiosity, for a dec 1918 registration card where were they serving to have been killed in action?

 

Craig

I'm sorry, but I haven't recorded the date of the registration in my database. I just remember being surprised to come across a couple of registrations in September 1918, and death in action.

[Jaeger6]

19 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

Out of curiosity, for a dec 1918 registration card where were they serving to have been killed in action?

 

Are you sure that we talk about December and not September?

I remember when I stayed for six months at university in the USA, I had problems to get my birth date correct on my American ID card. I was born on 11 March, my German documents stated this as 11.03. and the Americans beleived it must be November 3 (it was important at that time: Nov. 3 would have given my age as 20, March 11 as 21 - guess what the legal drinking age in Pennsylvania was at that time ...)

[ss002d6252]

29 minutes ago, Jaeger6 said:

 

Are you sure that we talk about December and not September?

I remember when I stayed for six months at university in the USA, I had problems to get my birth date correct on my American ID card. I was born on 11 March, my German documents stated this as 11.03. and the Americans beleived it must be November 3 (it was important at that time: Nov. 3 would have given my age as 20, March 11 as 21 - guess what the legal drinking age in Pennsylvania was at that time ...)

 

Ah, of course, the US date format !. It would be 12 September  and not 09 December !

 

Craig

[kgren]

Just saw this and wanted to contribute.

 

This card is a 1917 draft registration card. The completion of this card only signified that the individual listed went to his local board and registered for the possibility of being drafted. It does not indicate that the individual was drafted into the armed forces. As the individual was not listed as a veteran in the 1930 census, I concur with ss002d6252 in the assessment that he seems to have never been drafted nor voluntarily joined up.

Edited 20 May , 2020 by kgren

[Jaeger6]

Thank you @kgren

 

It seems that happened to several emigrated family memebers of mine. May I ask one other question as I saw your interest in the AEF? Another relative of mine, Alfred Lindloff, a third cousin twice removed, was sent with the AEF to France. I understand all abbreviations on his veteran's card but couldn't find further information where he was stationed in France. Because of the missing engagements on the veteran's card I assume it was not close to the front. After the war he stayed with the ROC, he was buried as Captain Alfred Lindloff on the US Army cemetery in Marrietta, GA.

Do you have an idea where I can get some information about him and his service? The Ordnance Corps never answered to any of my mails.

 

Markus

 

[kgren]

You could try ordering his service record from the National Personnel Records Center in St Louis (https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records). However, as a previous poster mentioned, a large majority (80%) of these records were destroyed during a fire some 50 years ago. So, the odds of his records surviving are not great. This means a majority of the research on individuals has to be done at the state level.

 

For Texas soldiers, it seems that the index cards that you have found are all that are available online. I am not too familiar with Texas records so there could be others out there.

 

From what I have found on Ancestry, your soldier was attached to Co A, 3rd Provisional Ordnance Depot Battalion (see attached image) when he departed the US for France. When he returned, it seems he was being treated for a hernia at US Base Hospital 208 in France, but no specific unit was listed other than his being in the Ordnance Corps.

 

Assuming he was in the same unit, this specificity should make it a little easier to trace his movements. From a quick Google search, I am not seeing anything too helpful, but the National Archives in Washington DC does contain some records on his battalion that can be accessed in person (https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/120.html#120.7.6). So, there is information out there. Hope this helps and good luck.

Edited 23 May , 2020 by kgren

[Jaeger6]

Thanks a lot @kgren.That will help!

Markus