research military units??

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Permalink Reply by Michael Hait on July 9, 2009 at 5:29pm

Have you actually tried requesting the personnel records from St. Louis? My wife's grandfather was in the Army during World War II, and we were able to get a copy of his records from St. Louis about 2 or 3 years ago.

Permalink Reply by Just Judy on July 9, 2009 at 6:51pm

I DID write to St. Louis and the only paper they sent me was a dental report, as he was mustering out of the Army. My brother gave me a copy of the form (DD-214??) for my dad's honorable discharge. So I do know my dad was trained at Lowry Field, his dates of service and that he was in 35th Photo Tech Unit, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force. I have some pix, but they could be Guam, Hawaii or another island. That's why I'd like to see if it's possible to track, for example, the XXI Bomber Command and where they went.

Any ideas?


Michael Hait said:

Have you actually tried requesting the personnel records from St. Louis? My wife's grandfather was in the Army during World War II, and we were able to get a copy of his records from St. Louis about 2 or 3 years ago.

Permalink Reply by Cindy Johnston Sorley on July 9, 2009 at 7:20pm

Judy

There are so many places on the Internet that have sprung up with Military units and such. I just did an extensive search on NavSource last night for some military ship photos and crew photos.

I would actually google the unit your father was in and see if there might be something out there. You might get someone who served with him etc. It is sad we are losing out WWII Veterans at an alarming rate daily and we need to get as much as we can in a quick time frame. Let me know if I can help you search.

I would not hesitate to look up Lowry Field in Denver Colorado and see if they might have a museum of some sort. This was a pretty small unit but since they were in photos you should be able to find a goldmine of photos I would hope.

Cindy in Utah

Permalink Reply by Cindy Johnston Sorley on July 9, 2009 at 7:22pm

hi, in three seconds I found this

History 35th Photographic Technical Unit
Twentieth Air Force Guam

This unit provided the quantitative reproduction of photographs required by a bomber command (VHB) or a tactical air force. It also performed detailed interpretations of the photographs for these units. This unit was activated as a Photographic Laboratory in Salinas, Kansas on April 1, 1944 that became the 35th Photographic Technical Unit and was assigned to the newly formed XXI Bomber Command. Under the command of Major Eugene H. Field, the 35th packed a Peterson Field, Colorado., POM’d (Point of Military Destination) at Seattle, Washington and were Duva bound close on the heels of the XXI Headquarters. News of the first Mariana’s base B29 attack reached the 35th personnel while anchored at Pearl Harbor. Some 35th personnel had flown ahead to Saipan to work on the early strikes. They rejoined the rest of the men soon after arrival on Guam, the permanent overseas station. Pushing the jungle back, building living and working facilities, collecting equipment and installing it filled the first island days. Then the bombing of Japan became our daily business, Pre-Strike preparations and post-strike assessment busied the workshops through the months preceding VJ day. The pictorial story of Japan’s devastation emerged in our developing trays, on the presses, on the maps and under the stereoscopes of the 35th. Reports compiled by all hands record the story of the B29 air offensive against Japan.



1944 ITINERARY

Arrival Date Departure Date Stationed June 2 July 5 Shaff, Salina, Kansas July 6 November 3 Peterson Field, Colorado November 5 November 10 Fort Lawton, Washington November 13 November 16 San Francisco, California November 23 November 26 Pearl Harbor December 4 December 8 Eniwetok December 12 Arrived at Guam

Wartime Production Totals

Photo Laboratory 1,500,000 prints

Compilation 100

Target Charts Photo Interpretations

1253 Reports Reproductions

1,875,000 Impressions

The website said the following:
The information came from a book that was given to each of the men. I am scanning this book and will put it online.

Permalink Reply by Cindy Johnston Sorley on July 9, 2009 at 7:29pm

here is a roster of the 35th

http://www.35thptuguam.freeservers.com/main.html