🏆 HONORABLE MENTION Need informations for a USA WWII dog tag

[invent4hir]

Here is Donald's record on fastpeoplesearch -> https://www.fastpeoplesearch.com/donald-schuler_id_G4724907496931633285 his relatives are listed about 1/3rd the way down. Not sure how up to date their contact info is...

 

[invent4hir]

Damn nice catch, I gotta make this right. I'll let Matteo know we are on hold. Thanks for letting me know-

SBD, good luck contacting one of them. If unable, there might be a local VFW post or someone else that can assist.

 

[Red-Coat]

All, 2 different Donald H. Schuler's served in WWII (see attached). Both born in 1923. The one from Wisconsin has the correct serial #. The one from Michigan was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Grand Rapids. Info found on FamilySearch. Live links in the pdf file...

Yes... looks like the guy buried in Grand Rapids is a red herring with some coincidental biographical details. The guy from Wisconsin is our man but note that - as per the database record I originally posted - your source has the same error. Both incorrectly give the service number as 10096043, whereas the dog tag is 16096043. I’m sure that's no more than a scanning error when converting old paper records to modern digital records... but it has the implication that any searching of military records will need to cover both possibilities (of service number).

 

[invent4hir]

Yes... looks like the guy buried in Grand Rapids is a red herring with some coincidental biographical details. The guy from Wisconsin is our man but note that - as per the database record I originally posted - your source has the same error. Both incorrectly give the service number as 10096043, whereas the dog tag is 16096043. I’m sure that's no more than a scanning error when converting old paper records to modern digital records... but it has the implication that any searching of military records will need to cover both possibilities (of service number).

Red-Coat, good point!

 

[invent4hir]

Article "The Forgotten Fifteenth" -> https://www.airforcemag.com/article/0912fifteenth/

 

[Red-Coat]

There’s a full list of WWII US Army and Army Air Force Casualties (including MIAs) for Wisconsin at the link below. No “Donald Schuler” listed for Milwaukee County, nor any other county, so I guess we can conclude he survived the war physically unscathed.

https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/army-casualties/wisconsin.html

 

[crashbandicoot]

Great work guys,and fast too.What a great place this is!

 

[Mud Hut]

Nice work fellas!

 

[Matteo La Boccia]

Good morning dear friend of this forum!
Many thanks for all your efforts to give a face to dog tag!
I'll give all your precious informations to man who found tag hoping he will return to relatives. Perhaps something that can confirm he correct identification (photo, place of service of Schulers here in Italy, etc.) of family will help he for return way.
About serial number please consider also hipothesis that when tag was stamped it can be have the mistake and was throw away in the field where it was found.
Again many thanks to everyone of you.
If you prefer share me informations with email please use our association email redazione@1943salerno.it
Best day.
Cheers from Italy.

 

[Gare]

Here is one that is buried in Oregon .With identical records

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36366176/donald-h-schuler

 

[Red-Coat]

... The first two number (16) means he enlisted and came from either Illinois, Michigan or Wisconsin...

... About serial number please consider also hipothesis that when tag was stamped it can be have the mistake and was throw away in the field where it was found...

Hi Matteo

Since we seem to have a Wisconsin service record for Donald Schuler with only one digit different, it would seem that the tag is correct but (at least some of) the records contain the error. Once you get an error like this, it has a habit of trickling through to other sources that feed off that information. Quite possibly there will be information sources with and without the error.

 

[invent4hir]

All, the fastpeoplesearch link I provided yesterday has a semi-colon at the end - which made it inoperable. I corrected it in the original post this AM - and it now works okay. It is also here -> https://www.fastpeoplesearch.com/donald-schuler_id_G4724907496931633285

 

[invent4hir]

Spent some time yesterday searching for an original service record with the correct number. Will resume later today and let you what I find.

Red-Coat is absolutely right that once an error occurs it can appear in later records.

 

[invent4hir]

All, checked Ancestry, Fold3, the National Museum of the USAF without finding a service # with a second digit of "6". Before I contact the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis, I called & left a voicemail for Donald's daughter Mary. Hoping for call-back and confirmation of his service #. If she doesn't respond or doesn't know, I'll contact her older brother John.

 

[xaos]

looks like many are still searching records, trying to help


PLEASE MARK SOLVED

For future reference:

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/research-veteran

 

[invent4hir]

looks like many are still searching records, trying to help


PLEASE MARK SOLVED

For future reference:

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/research-veteran

Hold off on marking solved...still waiting to hear back from Mary or John.

 

[invent4hir]

All, still have not heard back from John, Mary, or Paul. In the meanwhile I discovered that his brother Ralph has also passed -> https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/jsonline/name/ralph-schuler-obituary?id=3347389 - and I've not tried to contact any of his children.

Although the Donald’s obit doesn’t mention that he was a member of the VFW – I’m planning to contact them. Perhaps the 15th AF as well.

 

[invent4hir]

Still no word from Donald's children. Since he and his brother Ralph were close, I contacted the funeral home that handled his funeral. Gave them my contact information to forward to Ralph's next of kin. If they get back with me will ask them to contact Donald's kids. If all goes well I'll send them the link to this thread. Hopefully one of them wants the dog tag.

 

[invent4hir]

The VFW in Wisconsin replied saying they don't receive or keep info on a vet's family and suggested I contact national. Still trying...

Since Donald's obit says he was an avid golfer, began contacting golf courses in his area. Hopefully some of his playing buddies are still around and know his children.

 

[invent4hir]

Matteo, none of Donald's or his brother Ralph's next of kin have called me back. If you want, I can contact a Curator at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, tell them about Donald, and ask if they would like the dog tag. If they agree, I'll post their contact info here and your friend can send it to them. If they decline, I can contact the 15th Air Force and the World War II Museum to see if either of them would accept it. Just let me know.