Need help with a US soldiers tag

[RestoringYourFinds]

Need help with a US soldier's tag

Hello all,

A friend of mine recently found this tag in France while metal detecting.



He thinks he was able to find back the soldier's identity :

NARA - AAD - Display Full Records - Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Enlistment Records)

He then also found out that this gentleman is unfortunately deceased :

World War II Honoree

Everything seems to coincide.

Still, my friend would really love to return the tag to any remaining family member. He would love to get maybe a picture of this man to put it together with the tag and return it. When he wrote to me about this tag, you could tell he was moved by this discovery. But he is in France and he thought being here in the US, I might be able to help him. Hence this post.

Any help is welcome !!

 

[gamiller]

I am not sure if this is helpful but perhaps you might yield better results posting such question on a genealogy site.

 

[RestoringYourFinds]

Good thinking ! I figured some people in the metal detecting hobby might have faced similar situations/searches and would know how to proceed with locating this soldier's relatives.

But you sure gave me a very good advice. I will try to look into this. You know any good genealogy site you could recommend me?

 

[gamiller]

It's been awhile since I've done that kind of research but it would be good to ''Google''genealogy and expand your search there, if that doesn't get you started that it might be good to check with a librarian. If your near a library. Also it might be helpful to check with a veterans group.

 

[gamiller]

Librarians know how to research. Military vets share a special bond they often go the extra mile for each other.

 

[RestoringYourFinds]

Ok, I followed your advice. Went to a very complete genealogy website and unfortunately I found out that this gentleman was apparently never married and has no possible relatives left. At least, none traceable. Really feel sorry about this. Thanks for your advice, it really helped.

 

[warbike39]

I would contact the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)
in nor near Monroe Kentucky and ask for their help in locating any surviving family members. I'm sure they would be happy to help. My father is a member of the VFW in Alaska and they have done similar things.
Your friend in France is doing a great thing in trying to put these tags to rest.
Dave

 

[Mackaydon]

This should help:
[TABLE="width: 700"]
[TR]
[TD]Miller[/TD]
[TD]Don.[/TD]
[TD]W.[/TD]
[TD]Pfc.[/TD]
[TD]Route 3, Tompkinsville Ky.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
I hope you find his kin and can return the tag; maybe in a Memorial Day ceremony at the family's nearest VFW or Am. Legion Post.
Don.....

 

[Mackaydon]

PS: Found that item five entries up from the bottom of this page:
50th Armored Infantry Battalion History - Names and Addresses
Don...

 

[Luv2fishcb]

Contact the VA. He may have been buried in a military cemetery. They also might have info on dependents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mackaydon]

Call the Postmaster in Tompkinsville and tell him your story, then ask if that is still their address or is there a forwarding address on file for that family.
USPO Postmaster's office:

203 W Paige St,
Tompkinsville, KY 42167
(800) 275-8777
Don...

 

[jarhead0341]

Local VA,Legion or VFW would be the best starting point.

 

[Mackaydon]

Taltahull,
Specifically where in France were the tags found?
You can then estimate when they were lost when compared to the dates the 6th Armored Division was in that area.
It's all part of the story; I encourage you to stay with it.
Don.....

 

[RestoringYourFinds]

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for your help ! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, been really busy these days.

Here are the infos I found through a Genealogy website : (following gamiller's advice)

The info I had : Don W Miller. Then according to the data my friend gave me, (he could find an exact match through the tag number) Don W Miller was born in 1923, in Monroe County, Kentucky

Birth Record :



Notice the year is ok, the name is ok, and also the birth location. So, I checked the info for this person.

Death Record :



I then ran a living people search :



And next screen gave me this :



Even though there is slight discrepancy between the birth date on the birth record (12/23/1923) and the data found through the living people search (12/21/1923), it seems it is not unusual in records.

It unfortunately seems there is no relative for this person.

I will however try to pinpoint the exact location the tag was found and will also give it a try with the local VA,Legion or VFW. Fortunately enough, it seems this gentleman did not lose his tag in a battle related way.

 

[piegrande]

I do a lot of genealogy work, the most commonly available genealogy records (Family search of Latter day Saints) restrict records in the recent past to protect privacy of living people.

So, when you are looking for someone first hit the White Pages for the community. I think the 1940 census is online with Family Search, but don't think the 1950 or later are.

Also Zabasearch, which shows 100 Don Millers for Kentucky.

Sometimes you can get a hit on Ancestry.com and there may be a free trial period.

 

[digonandon]

I looked at the site that Mackaydon gave you and went to the TOC.

There was a link there for Super Sixth: The 6th Armored Division in WW II It looks like they are having a reunion Oct 1-4 2014 in Nashville TN

 

[gxray]

Try this site
Angelo's WWII Angels Dog Tag Return Project