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My grandmother is helping me create a family tree on ancestry.com. She is sharing with me what she knows, along with photos and records, etc - regarding her side of the family. We have come to a bit of a brick wall, so I thought perhaps someone here might be able to help...
She has a relative by the name of Jack W. (possibly Wayne) Carter, born in Oklahoma in 1913, but the family was living in California when he enlisted. My grandmother strongly believes he was at the Battle of Saipan in WWII. She has a photo of him, and on it is written "Saipan", and also she remembers him sending her shell necklaces while he was in the Pacific. He spent some time in Hawaii as well. She thinks he was in the Navy. Her mother, my great-grandmother, thinks he was wounded and sent home. When he came home, he "looked different" she said. He was sent home sometime before 1948.
I have tried to find him through the ancestry.com searches, but I haven't been able to find anything. Jack and Carter are both such common names.
I am wondering if there are lists available somewhere that would show soldiers who were wounded and sent home? Any other ideas how I might find information about his military service?
He was also a cowboy singer for awhile, prior to enlisting. He went by "Barbecue Jack" and we have photos of him singing at Yosemite with "West Virginia Slim". I have also been looking for more information on that as well, without any luck.
Thanks so much.
(I have also posted this in the military section as well. Hope that's not against any rules or anything.)
There was a "J W Carter" in the Supply Department of the USS Mendocino (APA-100) in 1946:
The Mendocino did go to Saipan in her short career (USS Mendocino (APA-100) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), but much later than the Battle of Saipan, when it was in U.S. possession. This is not the only candidate, just a quick search (there is a military sub-section to searches at Ancestry) that matched some of the data you provided.
Do you have more civilian information (familial relations) to build a better picture there?...
Thankyou! That photo is very helpful, the guy standing in back next to the guy with the hand in his pocket actually looks a lot like him from other photos I have of him. And yes, I have all the info on his parents, siblings, relatives, etc. I know quite a lot about him, too, actually, but I am trying to find out where he was buried, and also would like to know more about his military service.
I'm not a daughter or even granddaughter of his so I don't think I would qualify as far as requesting any of his personal records - military or otherwise. He was my grandmother's uncle.
Have you looked for "John" W. Carter? Some times for reasons I have never understood, Jack and John as first names were interchanged.
I have though of this before, too, but we are certain that his name was in fact Jack. It's on all the records, photos, census records, etc that we do have of his. Letters, photos, etc.
Thankyou! That photo is very helpful, the guy standing in back next to the guy with the hand in his pocket actually looks a lot like him from other photos I have of him. And yes, I have all the info on his parents, siblings, relatives, etc. I know quite a lot about him, too, actually, but I am trying to find out where he was buried, and also would like to know more about his military service.
I'm not a daughter or even granddaughter of his so I don't think I would qualify as far as requesting any of his personal records - military or otherwise. He was my grandmother's uncle.
But I have the experience to say that many of us that were in "dixiecups" looked very similar, and different from later times in our lives. If he was buried in a veteran's cemetery, it will likely have specific vitals, and perhaps his rating/rank and service. A cursory search (Nationwide Gravesite Locator) only shows a few Army personnel of the same initials and last name.
Was his father Henry Lee Carter, born in Arkansas (just a way for you to more quickly identify him to me)?...
Any further indications of duty stations or dates in his correspondence?...
There is also a Jack W Carter serving on a "landing ship" (LSM-418) in the Pacific theatre in 1945 (which is after the Battle of Saipan), until as late as February of 1946 (the ship was decommisioned 7 October 1946). I believe by the rating to be the same sailor later on the USS Mendocino in 1946. His service number was 690 98 21.
Nothing for the date or place of enlistment however, but the service number can be used to exclude other Jack Carter's that don't match...
Was his father Henry Lee Carter, born in Arkansas (just a way for you to more quickly identify him to me)?...
Yes! And his mother's maiden name was Babb.
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