I am trying to locate the Combat Aviation Engineer Unit that built the airfields in the Desert Training Center or CAMA during WW2. I am especially interested in any that may have served in Arizona from 1942-1944. The unit I am most interested in built the airfield at Camp Laguna . The airfield was designated Laguna Army Airfield (LAAF). Any assistance or guidance would be appreciated.
Yours,
Vincent Lacey
Dear Vincent:
First off I profusely apologize for never replying to your email. Somehow it got lost in the shuffle and I came upon it this morning (how appropriate on Memorial Day?!).
My first suggestion is to try and contact David Little (a friend of mine), who has an extensive site regarding Aviation Engineers. Here's his site:
I'm Matt, combats engineer vet from 1996-2002, doing research on my grandfather who I never knew but have tons of photos, some not labeled, from the ETO. He was a comms T4 in the 33rd reconnaissance squadron, 20th armored division, 3rd Army.
It has proved quite a Challenge to ID some of these places, at the time my grandad was in Europe, February thru July 1945, his unit was splintered and pieces attached to other units, so it can be hard to know where he went based on official narratives.
Mom not here to crowdsource or just post and hope others do the work, but I am relatively new at this sort of research. Any tips would be appreciated.
Hello everyone I am the Grandson of a member of Co.A of the 257th Combat Engineer Battalion. Any info that I can find on him would be greatly appreciated. I have his Discharge and Qualification records. I am looking for any info related to his time (7 months) as an engineer. His uniform was stolen when he returned home so I have no idea what his uniform would have had on it. (patches or insignias) His personnel records were destroyed in the fire so this is what I have. I also know that he was AAF before becoming an engineer based on his photo album.
Yesterday I recieved a surprising message from my old internet friend Jean Jacobsen: She's visiting Siegburg with her hubby Steve! So we went up the Michaelsberg to the rose garden, to the Nordfriedhof, where her father had to bring passed american POW to, the synagogue monument...
Thanks to Marionwho made this possible!
I have finally gotten duplicate medals from the Army to mount in my dad's flag display case. I would like to put them in in order of importance (if that's possible).
They are: The American Defense Service Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal & Bronze Star attachment (quadruple) & Arrowhead
WWII Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal & Germany Clasp
Marksman Badge & Rifle Bar
Army Lapel Button
Do I group the ribbons together with the medals underneath them, or do I display each ribbon with its corresponding medal?
Finally, although my father was wounded twice, the Purple Heart was not listed on his DD214, nor in the TACOM list. Anybody have insight into this? Do I need to make a separate inquiry for the Purple Heart?
