Hannibal Rex

I'm keen on dog tags myself at this time. Vietnam dog tags (er...their owners) are very easy to research, though sadly moreso if they've passed on as you can find their SSN on SSDI searches. Should be able to just send in the SNs though for research as the Vietnam records didn't suffer from the Great Burn... Anyone got any leads on tags?... HR

Perhaps the other guy wasn't killed, though I suppose the other guy could have been killed & may be buried in a non-government related cemetery (which would result in him not being in the ABMC & the National Gravesite locators). Multiple seems to suggest a daisy chained style grouping of mines, i.e. one soldier steps on a mine, which is connected to other mines. When that mine detonates, so do the others (or they can detonate in staggered timings, though I do not recall if they had those in WW2). It could also have had an added, improvised explosive as well. Who knows. The various pretty much stuck anything in the ground that would maim or kill back then (how times haven't changed...). Such a chain of mines could easily take out a couple of soldiers and do some horrific damage, particularly if the timing was staggered for the chain. A mine could have killed him and another nearby could have wreaked further destruction on his remains. Hrm. That site may not have all the docs for the unit though. Perhaps there's a morning report with more info... HR

Did you find out who the other casualty was? I wonder if he made it, and if he's still alive. I also wonder if it was a US mine or a German/Axis mine that was stepped on (or if it was really an AT mine and not perhaps a booby trap or something else). HR

Really nice group to a combat engineer. I don't know if you found it yet, but his battalion has a decent website (link below). According to the After Action report, he was apparently a member of 3rd Platoon. On that day the company sent three trucks and a 12 man detail to the Battalion Supply Officer to haul mines. In the afternoon they prepared to activate the mines in a previously laid belt when two of the platoon's recon members became casualties, believed to be an AT mine stepped on. The work wasn't continued as a result. He was from Kalamazoo, Michigan. http://www.327engineer.com HR

Yeah, I know there are a fair number of fakes out there (and honest repros, partic for reenactors). I usually don't buy them unless there's other stuff with it, but that too is unfortunantly a popular ruse for some of the rotten dealers/scammers out there. But they're a blast to research and usually less destructive on the wallet than some of the other stuff I collect. HR

You may be on target here. I have actually seen this unit with recipients of the rank of Constable (there should be one, IIRC, on Spinks' site). EA is almost certainly East Africa or East African. Hrm... HR

Hmm...I am fairly confident that he may be a Mortain casualty. One of the most underwritten campaigns by US forces in WW2, one of the toughest fights. Horrific casualties, horrific campaign. HR

Anyone know a good source for dog tags? Aside from Ebay? Occasionally I see them in the varied and sundry militaria dealers websites and at shows, but I was curious as to if there are any sources that either carry a lot of them or even specialize in them? Thanks... HR

Sorry, that should be appropriate. Can we edit our own posts on here? <laf>

If it were me, I'd just leave it in the box it came in. The only time I remove stuff like that is if the medals are in danger of suffering damage from the place that they're in/on. You could display in in an appropirate box, but be sure to keep the one it came in and if you decide to resell it/trade it, make sure the old box goes with it. Or you could have it mounted or put into some type of display. ;P

Yet another great Heart Scott. Okinawa is the campaign I'm personally most interested in as far as the PTO goes. This is almost certainly for Sugar Loaf Hill. This should be a VERY researchable medal as far, for a number of reasons. There are several books focusing on the battle for the hill alone, and nevermind the number of books on Okinawa in general. Manke's battalion earned three Medals of Honor during this relatively short period (Corporal Anthony Damato, Corporal James Day (later a noted General) & Major Henry Courtney).

Another nice grouping! It would be interesting to know about survivors from the LST. It isn't 100% confirmed that RO-50 was the killer, but it's quite likely the case. It also technically didn't sink LST-577, which makes the fact his body wasn't recovered interesting. Was he perhaps buried at sea, or lost in the initial explosion? She was soon after scuttled by the destroyer USS Isherwood, but it seems likely that the ship had probably suffered too much damage to be worthy of salvaging. RO-50 had fired on the convoy the LST was in and was on the receiving end of a pretty brutal depth charging as a result, sustaining some moderate to severe damage as a result. Ironically she was nearly sunk by a IJNAF aircraft's depth charges on the way home (not the first time this happened to the sub either). She survived he war and was sunk during Operation Road's End. http://www.combinedfleet.com/RO-50.htm

Thanks for the link. I'll have to fish around that later today. =)

Thanks Paul. Figured it was probably a long shot. In other words, look for groups with as much documentation as possible...

Does anyone know if Japanese service information/records for WW2 era servicepeople exist? Does anyone have any identified items? I know that there are items out there with names &/or units on them (I have a couple), but I was curious if there is any research potential possible here.