Bronze Star Group Derrald H. Hawk

[ehrentitle]

I recently picked up a Bronze Star on E-Bay named to Derrald H. Hawk that came with a theater made SHAEF patch and enlisted Signal Corps collar discs. I'll post photos here shortly. Having seen previous posts about other Bronze Stars I know there are a good number of internet sleuths here that have been able to dig up amazing information. I would appreciate anything that you may be able to find that might shed some light on Mr. Hawk.

I've found him in the Social Security Death Index and service entry record on the National Archives website, but don't have that info handy, have to dig it out.

Kevin

Edited April 9, 2006 by ehrentitle

[ehrentitle]

Medal reverse-

Edited April 9, 2006 by ehrentitle

[ehrentitle]

SHAEF Patch and Signal/US Collar Discs. Patch is black but looks slightly blue against the felt black background -

[Stogieman]

Looks like a nice WW2 era award on the star. The collar disc set doesn't look like WW2 vintage though? Maybe later?

[ehrentitle]

Medal Obverse with ribbon bars for Bronze Star, Good Conduct medal and European, African & Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 campaign stars -

[ehrentitle]

collar discs are a single screw post style rather that the two clutch backs that you normally see. I will post the reverse of the discs and the patch shortly.

Edited April 9, 2006 by ehrentitle

[ehrentitle]

reverse patches, ribbon bars and collar discs -

[ehrentitle]

Research so far - Can't find my hard copies, so here is some of what I've found on the net -

Lake Arrowhead Mountain News 26/2/2004 -

Derrald Hawk lived in Glendale (California) and was a supervisor for The Pacific Telephone Company... The article is no longer posted, but apparently Mr. Hawk and his wife were near the scene of unsolved murder that happened in the 60s or 70s at a vacation cottage not far from theirs. His employment as a supervisor for the Pacific Telephone Company is a great link to a WWII Signal Corps past.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) -

DERRALD H HAWK, Born 16 Jun 1913, died 23 Apr 1995, Last Residence 92025 (Escondido, San Diego, CA), SSN 487-01-0402, Issued: Missouri

National Archives Military Enlistment Records -

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 39294518

NAME HAWK#DERRALD H HAWK

RESIDENCE: STATE 91 CALIFORNIA

RESIDENCE: COUNTY 037 LOS ANGELES

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 9141 LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA

DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 19

DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 04

DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 43

GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT# Private

GRADE: CODE 8 Private

BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION NO# No branch assignment

BRANCH: CODE 02 No branch assignment

FIELD USE AS DESIRED # #

TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5 Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law

LONGEVITY ### ###

SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life

NATIVITY 72 IOWA

YEAR OF BIRTH 13 13

RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1 White, citizen

EDUCATION 4 4 years of high school

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 753 FRAMEMAN, TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH

MARITAL STATUS 2 Married

COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)

CARD NUMBER # #

BOX NUMBER 1418 1418

FILM REEL NUMBER 6.184 6.184

Edited April 10, 2006 by ehrentitle

[JBFloyd]

I've had several medal groups over time to men who were employees of various telephone companies before the war. Most of them wound up in specialized signal companies working at the corps or army level. Better yet, most of them seemed to be written up in the telephone companies' newsletters/histories back home (In one case, my guy had a full page bio and photo in the newsletter). Now it's a matter of tracking down what Pacific Telephone Company morphed into over the years and finding a source for their "Pacific Telephone Magazine".

[Stogieman]

Local libraries might be a good starting point. Once upon a time, all the periodicals were microfiched!

Good Luck with your search!

[ehrentitle]

I've had several medal groups over time to men who were employees of various telephone companies before the war. Most of them wound up in specialized signal companies working at the corps or army level. Better yet, most of them seemed to be written up in the telephone companies' newsletters/histories back home (In one case, my guy had a full page bio and photo in the newsletter). Now it's a matter of tracking down what Pacific Telephone Company morphed into over the years and finding a source for their "Pacific Telephone Magazine".

Thanks for the recommendation. I just checked and the company went thru a number of parent coroprations (Pacific Bell, Pacific Telesis Group, etc..), I believe the current one is SBC Communications. Kevin

[ehrentitle]

California Death Index

Name: HAWK, DERRALD HOWARD

Social Security #: 487010402

Sex: MALE

Birth Date: 16 Jun 1913

Birthplace: IOWA

Death Date: 23 Apr 1995

Death Place: SAN DIEGO

Mother's Maiden Name: EVANS