I don't know if we will get anywhere with this, but Captain John Fallon and I have been trying to help a woman named Janice Hunt, find info regarding her husband, Bill Hunt.
Bill states he was with the 2828th Bn, 36th Engineer Regiment, but he doesn't have his discharge papers, no pins, patches, photos; nothing to prove he served with the engineers.
His wife has tried everything, and of course contacted NARA and was told his records burned in the fire of 73.
John and I gave her the standard advice such as contact the Veteran's Admin, and so on. Nothing has panned out.
She is currently getting help from her congressman, but so far nothing has come through.
We have looked him up on the NARA site and again, nothing pans out. It's like he never existed.
She is getting desperate, for he now has Alzheimers, and she wanted to get him in a nice Veteran's home, but it's looking doubtful.
Tonight I told her to contact Camp Blanding and gave her the address below. She stated that's where he was discharged from. Discharge camps usually didn't keep records, but it's worth trying.
Camp Blanding Museum & Historical Associates
5629 SR 16 West,
Building #3040
Starke, FL 32091
I also told her to go to his local town newspaper(s) and see if they had a "service" story. Said many of the local papers often wrote short articles about their local "boys".
I only know his approximate dates of service December 1944 - January 1947 and that he served as a 17-year-old toward the end of the Battle of the Bulge and in the occupation of Berlin.
If anyone recognizes the name or happened to serve with him in HQ Co, please contact me immediately.
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"