WW2 casualty research overseas HeLP NEEDED (American, find, white, database)

[Flavio1]

Hello,


My name is Patrick & I am from the Netherlands.
Recently my family & I have adopted the grave of a WW2 US army serviceman, buried in Holland.
We would like to get in touch wth any living kin if possible to send pictures to the family and to learn more about this great man.
Since he was from San Bernardino originally we are hoping there still might be family around who would like to hear from people looking after his grave in Holland.


His name was A.J, Miller, 2nd Lt Us Army Air Corps.
MILLER, Athel J


Should anyone have any idea where to start this research locally I would be very interested (and indeed gratefull to hear from


Many thanks!


Pat

[Goin' Coastal]

There is some information on this man on findagrave.com.

[coltoncity]

I am sure there is more places to pot locally. FaceBook San Bernardino page or the San Bernardino Sun newspaper.

[Flavio1]

Thank you!!
San Bernardino Facebook sounds very promissing


Pat

[coltoncity]

I Love San Bernardino is one also on facebook. I mentioned the paper the sun because the older generations tend to read the paper still. Also call the local VFWs. They are places for only veterans to drink and get together. They would be the ones to have someone interested in helping also. look up Veterans of Foreign Wars for the phone numbers and pick a branch. There is plenty of them around

[howard555]

Originally Posted by Flavio1

Thank you.
Just posted!


Pat

Pat,
What do you have and what do you not need?
Do you have the photo. Only looking for descendants?

[theoldnorthstate]

Pat

That is so kind of you and your family to do this. I remember those family tended graves of our US soldiers fallen in Europe. It would warm my heart to know someone had adopted my loved ones gravesite and tending it if that were the case.

Can you get in touch with a US military organization is Europe (army reserve unit, SHAPE/community group) and let them go through channels and make contact for you? VA.gov might have listings of grave markers overseas. Another source might be Family search.org. Type in the name and see if you get connections.

Good luck

Judy

[PA2UK]

I could not find anyone on Ancestry.com who has him in their tree but from the records available, it looks like his sister (and only sibling) Cherrie never married or had children, and I'm wondering if he also didn't have any children - meaning there's no living descendants or close relatives of this family, unfortunately. You would have to see if his parents had any siblings who had children (ie, his cousins) who might be alive or have living descendants - they would be his closest relatives.

The reason I think he didn't have any children is because his enlistment record dated 27 Mar 1942 says he is single with no dependents. The info you provided says his wife was Helen J Caldwell so he must have married her after 27 Mar 1942 and before his death on 28 July 1943. While it's not impossible she became pregnant in that short time, it's also possible that she didn't. And given that the info from the link you posted seems to list all immediate family and there is no child listed, I'm guessing they never had children.

Enlistment record:

Name: Athel J Miller
Birth Year: 1918
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: California
State of Residence: California
County or City: San Bernardino
Enlistment Date: 27 Mar 1942
Enlistment State: California
Enlistment City: March Field Riverside
Branch: Air Corps
Branch Code: Air Corps
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: 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
Component: Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of
Source: Civil Life
Education: 3 years of college
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 72
Weight: 162

I took a look and it appears his father, also Athel, was the son of Amos Miller and Bell Brown. This is Athel (Senior)'s Social Security Appplication:

Name: Athel Amos Miller
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birth Date: 26 Sep 1895
Birth Place: Coal Hill Jo, Arkansas
Father Name: Amos Miller
Mother Name: Bell Brown
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Notes: Feb 1937: Name listed as ATHEL AMOS MILLER

This is his FindaGrave memorial which includes his obituary: Athel Amos Miller (1895 - 1942) - Find A Grave Memorial

ATHEL MILLER,
46, SUCCUMBS
AT RESIDENCE
After three years' sickness, Athel Amos Miller, 46, resident of Colton since 1913, died Monday at his home, 828 Pennsylvania Avenue. Entering in the employ of the Pacific Fruit Co. at Colton in 1916, Mr. Miller remained with the concern 26 years. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks and Bellevue Avenue Church of Christ, San Bernardino. Survivors are Mr. Miller's wife, Fannie N. Miller, at the family home; a daughter, Miss Cherrie V. Miller, also at Colton; and a son, Athel J., cadet at the Santa Ana air corps replacement training center, his mother, Mrs. Belle Miller, Alhambra, and a sister, Mrs. Gertrude Garst, Alhambra. Funeral arrangements have been made with I. M. Knopsnyder & Son Mortuary for 10 a.m. Wednesday. Place if burial is indefinite.
Published in the SAN BERNARDINO SUN on July 14, 1942.

So Athel (Senior) had a sister, married name Gertrude Garst living in Alhambra, CA. This looks like her on the 1930 census, along with her mother Bell:

Name: Gertrude H Garst
[Gertrude H Miller]
Birth Year: abt 1892
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Arkansas
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Homemaker?: Yes
Home in 1930: Alhambra, Los Angeles, California
Map of Home: View Map
Street address: South Curtis Ave
House Number in Cities or Towns: 1508
Dwelling Number: 129
Family Number: 137
Age at First Marriage: 23
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Alabama
Mother's Birthplace: Alabama
Able to Speak English: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Ray G Garst 37
Gertrude H Garst 38
George A Garst 10
Hazel M Garst 6
Bell Miller 68

So Gertrude had two children, George A Garst b. abt. 1920, and Hazel M Garst, b. abt. 1924. These would have been Athel (Junior)'s first cousins.

This looks like George's Social Security Application (Gertrude's middle name was Hazel) so he is probably deceased but might have living children:

Name: George Amos Garst
[George Garst]
SSN: 547096887
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birth Date: 8 May 1919
Birth Place: Los Angelus
Father Name: Raymond G Garst
Mother Name: Hazel G Miller
Death Date: 24 Feb 2000
Type of Claim: Original SSN.
Notes: May 1937: Name listed as GEORGE AMOS GARST; 21 Mar 2000: Name listed as GEORGE GARST

This looks like Hazel's marriage record:

Name: Hazel M Garst
Gender: Female
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1924
Age: 35
Marriage Date: 22 Feb 1959
Marriage Place: Imperial, California, USA
Spouse: Robert R Haskell
Spouse Age: 29

I didn't find a death record for her so she might still be alive.

There is one tree on Ancestry.com which has Gertrude but the tree owner does not appear to be aware that Gertrude had a brother named Athel Amos Miller: Join Ancestry
If you are a subscriber at Ancestry.com, you can contact the tree owner (however, it doesn't look like the tree owner is descended from this family).

[howard555]

PA2UK
Good...

Mr. Miller did not died in Europe it seems. Maybe he requested burial there.

[reed303]

Originally Posted by howard555

PA2UK
Good...

Mr. Miller did not died in Europe it seems. Maybe he requested burial there.

The info at MILLER, Athel J says his plane went down in the North Sea near Helgioland (Germany).