Is NARA in St. Louis brain dead

[twobisquit]

Wrote to St. Louis about 20 years ago for a reissue of my ww 2 medals. which I lost in moving. They shorted two of them as they did not show on my discharge. Wrote to them and was sent them and a addition to my discharge to be attached. A few months ago I requested to know what medals I was awarded to check to see if they were added to my discharge. Instead, they sent the list and another complete set of medals from my CIB down to the "ruptured duck". No complaints. I recently sent in copies of my dads WW 2 discharge and his WW 1 discharge. Also the form. Got a phone call from

NARA today claiming things were not in order and could not be sent. Here is a C&P from this question on another forum. "Sent in to St. Louis Mo. for my dads medals from WW 1 and WW 2. Granted, his name on his WW 1 discharge was Ernest G. Fournier and his Ser. # was 151305. He served from 1914 to 1920 then.

During WW 2 he was not able to pass the physical

for enlisment but did volunteer for the draft and was accepted for duty in 1942 . His new serial # was 32391608. His ww2 discharge shows his name as George E. Fournier and shows most of all of his previous service with the excetion of about one year of his ealier service. I was called by St. Louis and told that even though his place of birth was the same (Quincy Mass.) he should have kept his old serial number when drafted and they will not verify and send his medals. His birth date does not appear on his WW 1 discharge and shows his age in 1914 as 22 1/2 (which is incorect). Is this serial number bit they told me correct, that he should have still kept his old WW 1 serial # showing a enlistment number even though being drafed in WW 2 which I believe should start with a 3 as it did. Talk about utter confusion. Need some help.".

His WW 1 discharge shows "Service honest and faithfull. No absence under 107".

His WW 2 discharge is a Certificate of Disability Discharge having been badly wounded in France in WW 2, on battles and campaigns "no record available" , and wounds recieved, "no records available". And yet he was recieving V.A. compensation.. What a bunch of B.S.. and blaming the "great fire" at NARA and a

change of his first name and middle initial even though I sent a copy of both his discharges which were recorded at our County Clerks Office. Makes one wonder.

[Walt's Daughter]

It took me THREE tries before NARA would even answer my inquiry regarding my dad's discharge papers, even though I HAD filled out the appropriate request forms properly.

 

After my third attempt about 5 years ago, they sent a letter saying that they were destroyed in the fire of 1973. That may well be, but as you stated there are times when they give this as the standard answer for any requests.

 

I personally know of people who have been fed this line, but who later find out that the docs were available because through other means eventually received them. Sometimes it's because they knew someone in higher places etc., who knew how to get things done. What a shame.

 

One researcher told me that it was basically due to lazy employees who couldn't be bothered looking into things. If you got one of them, then things didn't get done. If you got the right person, then voila!

 

 

Sorry you've had to go through this bull. The line about how your dad should have kept his original serial number, well excuse my French but how the hell should HE have known that. He went down to the draft board, volunteered and they did the rest. Like HE'S supposed to know. Good grief!

[j3rdinf]

Marion: Did a bit of web checking on Army ser. #'s and found this. AR 615-30 dated 12 Feb. 1942. "For Men inducted into the Army - Army serial numbers from the following blocks will be used for trainees inducted under the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, regardless of whether the man formerly had an Army, Navy, or Other service number, and will be retained thereafter upon enlistment or reenlistment for the Regular Army. The second digit indicates the corps area of induction.." And the "3" number on the start of the serial # shows being a draftee". Seems like they are "Brain Dead" and

dont know the regs.. Meaning his old ser. # from over 20 years ago was invalid and he recieved a new one. Not as I was told that his old ser. # should still have been used.

God help us from these people.

[Walt's Daughter]

Amen to that Joe. Ya, right there in the ARMY manual for all to see. Well that makes perfect sense because of the Corps designations etc. And obviously it would not be the same as WWI. What idiots.

 

Just another excuse not to look up things, right? Hey they figure that most people will buy that and GO AWAY. What they forget is that many of us still have a brain and some semblance of intelliegence.

 

I believe I have a NAME of an important contact at NARA if you need one. I'll see if I can dig it up still. They do have some good people. You just have to grapple to find them.

[Dogdaddy]

The first time I dealt with NARA, I submitted a written request for copies of my Dad's WWII Navy records, complete with his serial number, place of birth and etc. Four months later I received the service records of another George Nelson, different birthdate, serial number, place of birth, etc....served in the Atlantic (My Dad served in PTO). So....I guess I cast my vote in the "Yes, NARA is brain-dead" column!

 

 

 

DD

[j3rdinf]

Just a follow up. Yes, I won with another phone call to NARA after talking ot her supervisor. I had to many damn facts . His TOTAL service time on his WW 2 discharged (for both wars) showed 8 months 9 months and 18 days which is exactly what his total time on both times of service. His place of birth was the same on both. His enlistment place for both periods of service was the same. His height was almost identical (short). His WW 1 discharge does not show birth daye (so he lied about his age I guess). Yes, his WW 1 shows his name as Ernest G. Fournier and his name shows on his WW 2 discharge as George E. Fournier. (dont know why). On the initial phone call from NARE I was told that he should have kept his OLD ser. # 151305 even though being drafted in WW 2, however in checking up on Serial Nos. on the web I found this incorrect according to AR 616-30 dated 12 Feb 1942 which shows the new serial number he was given was proper. ( 32 391 608 ) . Damn, do they just hate to be wrong but when you give them the AR showing them wrong it worries them badly. It appears I won as a Mr. Burns, a supervisor who I talked to today at NARA, all was proper and he would O.K. the sending of medals for both wars.. I hope this is the end of it as I am too damn old for this B.S.. So believe me, NARA can be fought and beaten with a lot of work. Seems like they just hate facts and figures. Luckily, my Dad had his discharges from both wars recorded at the County Recorders office here localy. (same as mine and my borther did at Dads recomendation). I guess my next problem will be in getting my older brothers medals from WW 2 as he is also a George E. Fournier. So, maybe here we go again. Thank God for ser. numbers. So guys, dont just take a "no" for a answer from NARA, " lock and load" with facts and fight back.

[Walt's Daughter]

God bless you for your tenacious spirit! A man after my own heart! I never give up either, and you can betcha I don't back down when armed with facts!

 

But it is too bad that you had to do all this digging and calling and calling... Frustrating!

 

Let's hear it for the Fournier men!