First of all, I apologize for my English as it is not my first language.
I'm from Belgium and I'm trying to find a soldier during World War II. He briefly lived with my grandmother during the war (in 1944) in Combain-au-Pont. She and her sister found a long-lost letter from him, dating from may 1945. They wrote him a letter after he left and this was the answer. They never translated it though. I did it for them and they asked me if I could try to find him or what happened to him after the war. The problem is that I don't have any idea how to do that with the informations I have.
Here's the envelope (the letter doesn't contain anything relevant, except maybe for the date (12 may 1945) and that it was sent from Germany):
Don't pay attention to the "Delbert américain 1945" on the center, it's something my grandmother wrote (="Delbert american 1945").
I was able to read his identification number (35645737 or 35645137), his company (291st Engineer combat battalion) and that it was the Third US Army (APO #403). I have no idea what is the last line (E.F.O. ?)
I looked in the research section, and it seems that I could theorically obtain a copy of his discharge document ? But I'm not a family member and I don't know what state he was from.
Should I also try to contact the Army Corps of Engineers Office of History ? I suppose he was an engineer if he was in the 291st Engineer combat battalion ?
I also thought about contacting the embassy to try and find him today, if he is still alive ? I have absolutely no idea how to find someone in the United States with just their name...
I hope someone here can help me, at least to steer me in the right direction.
My cousin, Eugene R. Gustafson, Capt., served in the 36th Combat Engineer Regiment in WWII. He joined the Army on 8 Oct 1941 in Portland, Oregon. He died 28 Oct 1944 at the 3rd Battalion Aid Station, Rambervillers, France and is buried at the American Cemetery in Epinal.
But then, I recently received a digital copy of his Report of Burial via a request I had made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act for his “Individual Deceased Personnel File” with the following in regards to his organization: “36 Engrs Co G” and then hand written: “Regt C” to indicate it should be inserted after “Engrs” and before “Co”. Thus: 36 Engrs Regt. C Co G. So now it looks like Eugene was in “G” company which is in the 3rd Bn. (Attaching a copy)
Place of death on this same report states: 3rd Bn Aid Sta. Rambervillers, France, 28 October 1944 SFW-Pen. Thorax rear.
Questions:
1) Could Eugene have started out in company "C" and later transferred to company "G"? Is such a transfer even possible?
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