For those of you who may wonder what type of medals your family member, who served in the 503d may be entitled to, I thought I would post the following information.* Of course, individual service records are unique, but most of those who served with the 503d overseas would probably be eligible for at least some of the awards listed below or perhaps others.
*Information on this can also be found on 503d Heritage Battalion Website.
When I first started this journey, I had yet to find many of many of my grandfather’s treasures, including his discharge papers, which were just found recently. So, when I originally applied for my grandfather’s medals, on behalf of my mother earlier this year, I only knew a few basic things.
My grandfather…
1. Was inducted into the service on November 14, 1941.
2. Served in the F co. 503d.
3. His SS #
4. Estimated discharged date or 11/1945
Armed with the above information, I went to
www.archives.gov/veterans/replace-medals.html and applied for his medals on behalf of my mother. I filled out the information online. Once the application is completed, you will need to print out the confirmation. You must sign the confirmation slip and mail it back to the provided address. After submitting all the required information, you should receive any medals the veteran earned based, on the information you provided. My mother received a response within a few weeks, but it took almost five months to get the medals, due to some of the medals being out of stock.
I ‘v since learned a lot more information such as;
1. He was qualified as a Parachutist on March 6, 1942.
2. Was with the 503d when they marched in the 1942 Washington DC Memorial Day Parade.
3. Departed the US on October 20, 1942 for the Asiatic-Pacific with the 503d.
4. Arrive in the Asiatic-Pacific on December 2, 1942.
5. Was transferred out of the 503d on October 1, 1945.
6. Departed the Asiatic-Pacific on October 1, 1945.
7. Arrived in the US on October 22, 1945.
8. Was discharged at Camp Atterbury, Indiana on October 29, 1945.
If you are missing the discharge papers, you can also request a final pay worksheet. I don’t believe this is listed anywhere on the site, you have to ask for it. After receiving the medals, I sent an additional request for any additional documents. They responded, by sending me a letter telling me about the fire that destroyed many/most of the army veteran records of WWII, but that I could get a copy of his final pay worksheet for $25. The final pay sheet may or may not contain critical information on the veteran, but it may help you piece together his history. In my opinion, it’s worth the $25 (I will post in the near future).
As side note, I recently read an article in a VFW magazine about the fire and how they are continuously working on restoring and preserving those documents that were partially burnt or damaged by water, so there still may be hope for some. It may be a crap shot, but you could also try going to the veteran’s home county recorder’s office. I’ve been told that many of the veterans took their discharge papers there to be recorded, per advice from the military, stating that this would be the only one you would ever get.
If the government fails to supply you with the medals you know the veteran earned, you can also go the
www.medalsofamerica.com. A great place to go to buy replacement pieces to help build a display, if that’s your intentions. For example, my grandfather should have also received a bronze arrowhead for the jump on Corregidor and the Combat Infantry Bade. Had I been able to provide more information about my grandfather’s service, the government probably would have sent them also. So if you know what medals the veteran should be entitled to, be sure to list them and be specific. The worst they can do is say no or require you to send in more documents for proof.
If you want medals for an original uniform, you will probably want the slide mount ribbons, which can be purchased from medals of America.
Medals Received
1. Good Conduct Medal
2. Asiatic-Pacific Medal with 3 Bronze Stars
3. American Campaign Medal
4. World War II Victory Medal
5. American Defense Medal
6. Honorable Discharged Lapel Button
7. Presidential Unit Citation
8. Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze Star
As a nice touch, they sent the Good Conduct Medal back with my grandfather's name engraved on the back.