WWII French phrase book

[Meatwad]

Found something interesting.

Older French Phrase book for issue during WWII, dated Sept 28, 1943 from the US War Dept. This was actually taken to a local recycling center to be recycled/disposed of. What horror some loonies would do to genuine WWII items!! 

Anyways it has the owners name in it, would be neat to see some more info about this person as to what his role was during the war.


Cpl Melvin(??) L. Schafer
ASN 37474090
France - Oct 20, 1944

Too bad I dont have a scanner, this is really interesting to read

[1pLUs44]

Do a google search, I'm looking right now, haven't found nothing yet.

Edit, I'm finding some stuff from bing.com, Mostly Obituaries. One is of a guy who I think was just too young for WWII, and another just mentions a brother named "Melvin Strafer" who was a brother of a woman who was born in 1925.

[texasmom]

All of that information I posted must be wrong. There must be more than one Melvin L. Shafer... why would the book say France Oct 1944 otherwise?
Crap, sorry, I wish I could go back & delete all of those.


National archives information about that particular serial number series indicates there's a gap in the numbers which includes this gentleman's number.
http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-description.jsp?s=3360&q=37474090&popup=Y
Otherwise you'd be able to pop in his # & get the full bit of info.

[1pLUs44]

http://www.interment.net/data/us/ne/lincoln/ftmcphnat/ft_mcph_sase.htm

Fort McPherson National Cemetery
Maxwell, Lincoln County, Nebraska

Schafer, Melvin L, b. 11/17/1923, d. 05/14/1988, US Army, TEC 5, Plot: D 0 191, bur. 05/18/1988

Oh, thanks. I found a same Melvin Schafer, born 1920, died 1978. Was in the military as well.

[texasmom]

Haven't pinpointed anything with the name in that theater.

However, on Oct 20th, 1944 the 100th Infantry and the 442nd RCT took Hill C (town: Bruyeres, France)

If the date annotation was a marker of a large event he participated in, this is a possibility. I'll look though the registers of those units to see if there's further annotations.

[1pLUs44]

The Melvin Shafer that I saw died in 1978 was Melvin John, not Melvin L... so I skipped over that one.  He was from Wisconsin.

Oh, okay. Interesting find regardless.

[texasmom]

Oh, I read a completely fascinating story.
I didn't realize that 100th 442nd was an all Japanese American unit.
The end of October they were tasked to go get the Lost Battalion (detailed at: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/100-442in.htm)
Super interesting. Even if I can't find any other information about Melvin Shafer, I enjoyed reading this information




TxDad has a movie about this called "Go For Broke" which was their unit motto. Cool. I don't think I've ever watched it, but I will now!

[texasmom]

*

[Meatwad]

I asked someone today about it, he was in the army back in the 50's

He said ASN means that he was a naval officer. Wonder if I can find something in that area since I was just looking in the army

[DREDIOCK]

Oh, I read a completely fascinating story.
I didn't realize that 100th 442nd was an all Japanese American unit.
The end of October they were tasked to go get the Lost Battalion (detailed at: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/100-442in.htm)
Super interesting. Even if I can't find any other information about Melvin Shafer, I enjoyed reading this information



(Image removed from quote.)
TxDad has a movie about this called "Go For Broke" which was their unit motto. Cool. I don't think I've ever watched it, but I will now!

I believe there was a old movie about them. Cant remember the name of it though. Its been years and years since I've seen it but I remember it being not half bad.

[Guppy35]

I asked someone today about it, he was in the army back in the 50's

He said ASN means that he was a naval officer. Wonder if I can find something in that area since I was just looking in the army

The fact that it's says Cpl, sure seems to point to Army

[Guppy35]

Thinking the one already mentioned is your guy.


Name: Melvin L Schafer
Service Info.: TEC 5 US ARMY WORLD WAR II 
Birth Date: 17 Nov 1923
Death Date: 14 May 1988
Service Start Date: 27 Feb 1943
Interment Date: 18 May 1988
Cemetery: Ft. McPherson National Cemetery 
Cemetery Address: 12004 S Spur 56a Maxwell, NE 69151-1031 
Buried At: Section D Site 191 


Name: Melvin L. Schafer
SSN: 505-22-5593 
Last Residence: 68901  Hastings, Adams, Nebraska, United States of America
Born: 17 Nov 1923
Died: May 1988
State (Year) SSN issued: Nebraska (Before 1951)

[Meatwad]

Thats pretty neat. It sure is glad to put the name and service info to the genuine translator book he kept with him back during the war and perhaps into combat.

Thanks sir!