Hello Everyone - I'm new to the site and wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My father and I are trying to piece together the wartime service of his Uncle. We know only that he left Kansas in 1942 and returned in 1945 - we have no service info on him at all - except - that he was with the 348th Engineer Combat Battalion!

His name was Joseph H. Debold, and I believe he left the service as a SSgt. His service number was 37216331 and his discharge certificate lists him as a Combat Engineer. He was most likely a driver or machinery operator as he was a farmer from Kansas who had much experience with driving large equipment. Ideally, we'd like to put together a chronology of his entire time in service but know that may be hard as we don't have his company or detachment number. Any suggestions on how to find this out?

If anyone has any info on him, that would be terrific.

By way of background, I am a recently retired Marine Corps Major. I retired from the History and Museums division where I was a combat historian and artifact officer responsible for accompanying Marine Corps units into action and recording their operations for the official record. As a military historian, I'd like to write an extended history of my Uncles experiences in the war.

Thanks for having me aboard and let me know if there is anything I can do to support your efforts.

Joe Winslow

cell (469)363-0651

Washington DC

Sent to me by Peter, our latest member (from Poland):

http://youtu.be/YLVugnuPco0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5U_XUvVY0po

I have just realized, that I never made my presentation​​...

Is how to enter and exit a museum or an exhibition without signing the guestbook ...

Thus, although now you know me already, my name is Enrico and I write from Bologna in Italy. I am a collector of militaria of WWII, mostly American.

I do searches with metal detector and participate in events of historical re-enactment!

I conclude by saying that I am very happy to be here and that this is the only forum where I feel truly at home! : D

Thanks M1 and community

Enry

Hi Marion,

 

My name is Steve Maieli and as mentioned before I'm a Veteran and the Founder of http://transitioningveteran.com/ . You can find me and my website on Facebook where I have over 3000 followers and I wanted to let you know that I just shared your website with all my fans, they will love the incredible WWII music collection you collected. I'm actually listening to it as I type this.

 

I had to share your website to my fans, because people appreciate these types of stories of a daughter doing what she can to pay tribute to her Veteran father. And I love sharing something for our past veterans, because I'm a true believer that their sacrifices are what have given us the benefits we receive today as veterans. Check me out on Facebook if you on there as well http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transitioning-Veteran/70286207855

 

So I hope my email reaches you, I'm a big fan of your website and I'll be sharing your website down the road again for sure.

 

I give my Thanks to your father as well for his service to our country.

 

Steve Maieli

www.transitioningveteran.com

A friend of ours dropped over last night and brought a friend along with him. He brought up the subject of the USS Penguin and wondered if I could drum up some data on it. So while he was still here, I dug up some precursory info and told him I will find out more as I go along.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/am33.htm

USS Penguin (Minesweeper # 33, later AM-33), 1918-1941

 

USS Penguin, a 1009-ton Lapwing class minesweeper, was built at Elizabeth, New Jersey, as part of the World War I ship construction effort. Commissioned in November 1918, ten days after the Armstice brought an end to the fighting, she operated out of New York for several months and, in May 1919, crossed the Atlantic to participate in clearing the wartime mine barrage across the North Sea. Penguin was twice damaged by mine explosions while engaged in this work, with the second incident, in August, causing serious injury. Returning to the U.S. in November, she soon was transferred to the Pacific, operating there until laid up at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, at the beginning of June 1922.

 

Penguin recommissioned in October 1923 and was employed for the rest of the decade as a gunboat on China's Yangtse River. She spent the 1930s and early 1940s at Guam, performing a variety of duties in support of the local government. When Japan began the Pacific War on 7 December 1941 (8 December at Guam), Penguin helped resist enemy air attacks. She was badly damaged by bomb near misses, and was scuttled later that day in deep water near the island.

He had stated a friend tried to look up info and couldn't come up with anything. They told him, "It's like it never existed!"

Well obviously they didn't try very hard, (like try typing it into a Google Search Engine!!!).

He is also looking for specific info on one of the men who served on the Penguin; George Farmer.