Happy New Year everyone,
My Grandfather served in the 2756th Combat Engineers, Company A. He enlisted in April of 1942, and was honorably discharged in June 1946. I have his discharge paperwork and medals, ribbons, etc. However, his file was among those burned in the fire in St.Louis. I am trying to get in contact with someone at the Rhode Island VA to try to get a picture of what he went through but that is slow moving. Family stories say that he saw/experienced many awful things during the war. He did not talk about what he went through and I was never able to meet him because he passed away before I was born. He has the European/African/Middle Eastern Service Ribbon among others. If anyone has any information about this unit, I would be very grateful.
Happy New Year and welcome.
Yes, you are on the right course by contacting the Rhode Island VA. Please keep us informed. If you happen to hit a snag, I would advice your next contact to me his local county building.
I will see what I can find out about the unit, though and will post anything here.
All the best.
Hi Marion,
My Mom is going to have to get his records from the VA. They won't release them to me because I am his granddaughter. Tough part is she is in Florida at the moment. So I am hoping to have her give them a call so they can forward the records to her. I have been speaking to a veteran in Georgia that was with the 2756th in Georgia and though he didn't know my Grandpa, he can shed some light on the European front. My Grandfather also received the Good Conduct Medal. Can anyone describe to me how someone would come to earn it? Thank you in advance!!
Sure thing.
Background
The Army Good Conduct Medal (pictured below) was authorized by Executive Order 8809, on June 28, 1941, and is awarded to enlisted members who have honorably completed three continuous years of active military service subsequent to Aug. 26, 1940, and who are recommended by their commanding officers for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity. Persons awarded this medal must have had character and efficiency ratings of excellent or higher throughout the qualifying period, including time spent in attendance at service schools, and there must have been no convictions by court martial.
Criteria
During wartime, the Army Good Conduct Medal may be awarded on completion of one year of continuous service rather than three. Executive Order 9323, March 31, 1943, lowered this time limit for service during the Second World War, and it was amended by Executive Order 10444 on April 10, 1953, applying the one-year ruling to the Korean Conflict, (1950-1954) and to any future period in which the United States is at war, including the war in Vietnam, (1964-1973).
Medal Description
The medal, designed by Joseph Kiselewski, has on the obverse an eagle with wings displayed and inverted, standing on closed book and a Roman sword. Encircling it is the inscription Efficiency, Honor, Fidelity. The reverse has a five-pointed star, slightly above center, with a scroll beneath for the recipient's name. Above the star are the words For Good and below the scroll the word Conduct. A wreath, formed of a laurel branch on the left and an oak branch on the right, surrounds the whole design.
Ribbon Description
Only one Good Conduct Medal may be awarded to any individual. Additional awards of the medal are indicated by a bar, with loops or knots indicating additional awards. Clasps are in bronze (one to five awards), silver (five to nine awards), and gold for ten or more awards. An individual who is awarded a Good Conduct Medal while serving in another branch of service and is then awarded an Army Good Conduct Medal would wear both medals and ribbon bars.
Authorized Device
Clasp
Some would call it the "didn't get caught" medal.
There's an applicable Bill Mauldin cartoon, but I couldn't find it online. 
That's pretty good Capt. O. In my case it helped to have a good 1st Sgt. In my corner after I did get caught.
Parker
"Th' yellow one is fer national defense, th' red one wit' white stripes is fer good conduct, and th' real purty one wit' all th' colors is fer bein' in this theater of operations."
