WW II Dogtag ID needed

[Westfront]

I post this in this forum to show it to the most people possible to help.
A hunting buddy of me got this one with no more information than that it was found in the woods in the area of German/Belgium border.
He tried to check at NARA. This is what he got when searching on NARA :

31324780 MERCIER#RUSSELL#J####### MASSACHUSETTS HAMPDEN HARTFORD
CONNECTICUT 43 Civil Life 16

This one has the wrong ASN number !!

39414447 VERMILLION#JOHN#B####### CALIFORNIA GLENN SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA
43 Civil Life 25

this one has the right ASN number but the wrong name !!
Anybody here who can help?

Mercier. Russell J
39414447 T45 A
P

 

[colorado14ers]

cool tag but no info good luck

 

[Mackaydon]

Yes, strange indeed: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&rid=2505124

What the tag does reveal:
1. Draftee (first number designation)
2. Ninth Corps (second number designation)
3. Tetanus immun.: 1945
4. Blood Type: A
5. Religion: Protestant
6. Tag type 4: Issued between March 1944 and April 1946
Don.....

 

[bootyhoundpa]

cool finds.... i googled russell mercier ct. ww2,,, and this is what i got, evidently there is a senior center named after him - if its the same fellow. russell mercier senior center ,, 14 stonecroft dr. hebron ct. 06108 ph. - 860- 291- 7204 never know he may have lost his life over there.. good luck with your research and thanks for posting.....

 

[NHBandit]

Probably not alot of help but every little bit is a piece of the puzzle. "Hampden" is a county in western Mass, not the name of a town. Might try Springfield,, Holyoke, Chicopee, etc. It borders CT.

 

[crazyjarhead]

I would really love to see (or when people do succeed) in finding a family member to give this back. I (we) appreciate your efforts and anyone else's input on this. I lost a Great Uncle in WW2 during the Battan Death March in the Philipines. But regardless of what battle (war) he/she died in I feel a special place place in my heart when I see a dog tag belonging to someone who may have gave the ultimate sacrafice for this great country. Furthermore, it may belong to a MIA who never came home and is still listed as missing ? We apreciate your efforts Ron USMC Retired

 

[NHBandit]

Very cool website Don. I just found the info for all 3 of my uncles who fought in WWII. Luckily they all came home.

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's another site that may add in future dog tag searches:
http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/dogtags_serial.htm
Merry Christmas to all,
Don..

 

[Westfront]

Thanks to all for Your help. It is possible that the tag belongs to a MIA. Many are still in the forests here. We try to find the owner or relatives of every personal relic we find. Most time without succsess. Im also looking for NORMAN BALDAUFF. I have his messtin...
Bootyhound: Do You have the chance to get some more info about Mr. Mercier in hebron ct.?

 

[armchairQB30]

Marine Ron,

Agreed, every time I see a dog tag a little part of me dies. For those of us who grabbed an M-16 and got on the wall, we would like to see this returned to a relative. You guys help this kind german friend of ours trying to help our fallen comrad.

I grew up in Germany as a soldier in the Fulda Gap. Lord bless the 3/12th Cav.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

i will call the phone num,ber in the morning and see what they can tell me..

 

[Kenosha Kid]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...+"russell+j+mercier"&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Scroll down to March 21st, 2004.

"Russell J. Mercier joined Charter Oak Resources, an affiliate of Whittlesey & Hadley PC, Hartford, as a senior member of the management and recruiting team."

Might be related to him, plus it's the same town as shown for the "place of enlistment" in the WW ll files (Hartford).

 

[crazyjarhead]

Marine Ron,

Agreed, every time I see a dog tag a little part of me dies. For those of us who grabbed an M-16 and got on the wall, we would like to see this returned to a relative. You guys help this kind german friend of ours trying to help our fallen comrad.

I grew up in Germany as a soldier in the Fulda Gap. Lord bless the 3/12th Cav.

Thanks Fellow brother. We are all brother's regardless of service

 

[1]

I found a Russel Mercier from Lowell Mass in some newspapers. Looks like he joined up in 1941 at the age of 21. There were a couple post WWII stories about him in the paper as well. If it is the same guy, looks like he made it through the war.

 

[Bramblefind]

That is strange about the Army Serial Number not matching-

I think this Russell Mercier died in 1989. This is from the Connecticut Death Index -

Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2001
about Russell J Mercier
Name: Russell J Mercier
Father's Surname: Mercier
Death Date: 21 Oct 1989
Death Place: Windham, Windham, Connecticut
Age: 73 Years
Birth Place: New Hampshire
Birth Date: 2 Feb 1916
Marital Status: Married
Spouse: Alta
State File #: 23203
Occupation: RET GAUGE INSP
Industry: PRATT & WHITNEY
Residence : Hebron, Tolland, Connecticut
Address: 341 Wall St 062481327
Gender: Male

An unusual thing that came up on John B. Vermillion is his recorded height and weight on his enlistment-

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
about John B Vermillion
Name: John B Vermillion
Birth Year: 1925
Race: White, Citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Wyoming
State of Residence: California
County or City: Glenn

Enlistment Date: 15 Apr 1943
Enlistment State: California
Enlistment City: Sacramento
Branch: No branch assignment
Branch Code: No branch assignment
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life

Education: Grammar school
Civil Occupation: Farm hands, general farms
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 44
Weight: 074

I believe he died in 1979-

California Death Index, 1940-1997
about John Bernard Vermillion
Name: John Bernard Vermillion
Sex: Male
Birth Date: 19 Feb 1925
Birthplace: Oklahoma
Death Date: 29 Jun 1979
Death Place: Fresno

Norman J. Baldauff died in 1962-

California Death Index, 1940-1997
about Norman J Baldauff
Name: Norman J Baldauff
Sex: Male
Birth Date: 12 Jan 1906
Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Death Date: 2 Sep 1962
Death Place: Los Angeles
Mother's Maiden Name: Ruffing

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Great WWII relic! Looks like you got the info you needed. HH, Mike

 

[Westfront]

i will call the phone num,ber in the morning and see what they can tell me..

Thanks a lot for that! It will be a great christmas present for us to find the relatives of this man. Even better that it looks like he survived the war!
We will send this tag back when there is a son or daugther who wants to have it.

And for Norman Baldauff. It is possible that his age matches the find. It was found near a command post of the 99th US Inf. Div. I have some pics from this place. The mess tin wasnt used much. Looks like they had dishes there. We found dishes and broken glass together with a lot of pig bones and other stuff in a foxhole directly beside the CP.

Thanks again for having friends over there which help can us!

 

[birdman]

Westfront ,that is a grand deed you are undertaking trying to find this man or his family.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

i left a message on the answering machine at the russell mercier senior center.... 860-228-1700 no one answered but i left a message describing how and where the dog tag was found and my home phone # along with instructions on how they can go onto t-net and see for themselves .... so hopefully we will get some kind of a response back... i couldnt find an e mail adresses for the sr center as believe an email may be more effective.... at this point it would probably be best if someone from the conneticet or mass area was involved as i am several hundred miles away ....

 

[Westfront]

Thank You Booty! I hope that we get a response.