Madeline,
I have a personal interest in these sorts of things, and I checked a number of governmental databases as well as the Ancestry databases, and I believe I have had some success.
I have discovered the following paper trail:
- 28 Feb 1941 - listed in the roster for the Naval Reserve Aviation Base in Washington D.C. with a service number of "414 73 96", a rating (rank) of S2C V5 (Seaman 2nd class), and enlistment date of 15 Jan 1941 in in Washington, D. C.
- 30 April 1941 from the Pensacola Air Base which lists a Charles L. Harper with a service number of "414 73 96", a rating (rank) of S2C V5 (Seaman 2nd class) who enlisted at Anacostia in Washington, D. C. on 15 Jan 1941. I think there is a very good bet that he was sent to Pensacola for flight training.
Unfortunately, the Charles Lee Harper I can find a grave for is:
HARPER, CHARLES LEE
RM3 US NAVY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 12/31/1926
DATE OF DEATH: 09/14/1981
BURIED AT: SECTION R SITE 184
JEFFERSON BARRACKS NATIONAL CEMETERY
2900 SHERIDAN ROAD ST. LOUIS, MO 63125
(314) 845-8320
I am fairly certain he is not your uncle. Anyhow, I think that finding the service number will be a real help in tracking down further records. I'll certainly forward other material to you if I find more.
Good luck
John D. Metz
Director of Archives, Records, and Collection Services
The Library of Virginia
-----Original Message-----
From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Madaline Preston
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 9:24 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] veteran's info
You are a good man. Thanks for all the time spent on his behalf. The info I have I got from his obits and news articles. (I remember him buzzing our house when he was stateside. Scared us to death!) If Charles didn't serve, he had one hell of an imagination to relate such vivid tales..... and someone gave him a really nice uniform!
His obit says he remained in the Navy's fleet reserve and attained the rank of Commander.
With appreciation.
Madaline
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 8:02 PM, Ray Harlow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Madaline,
> Boy were you right.
> I searched Ancesry.com Military, Fold3 WWII, the Internet, and
> Ancestry family Trees and found nothing that would help you.
>
> Sorry, Ray
>
>
> ------------------------------**--------------------
> From: "Madaline Preston" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2013 2:39 PM
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] veteran's info
>
> You are very kind to offer to help me.
>> I have checked Ancestry and Fold3 but feel a more skilled researcher
>> may find something I overlooked. While I have had success with
>> finding Confederate soldiers on Fold3....not so much on WWII.
>> Ancestry came up dry also, other than the census. (His father, Charles H.
>> Harper is not in the 1940 census. The family lived in Winchester, VA
>> at the
>> time.)
>> His data:
>> Charles Lee Harper
>> b. 5 Oct 1916 - Frederick Co, VA
>> d. 20 Mar 1984 - PA
>> Enlisted in 1941 when he was a student at UVA.
>> Single, did not marry until after the war.
>> Awarded Air Medal, Gold Star and Silver Star.
>> Charles was not opposed to embroidering details. For instance, his
>> obit says he was a lawyer but I can find no record of a law school.
>> He married money and spent 33 years on production of the Devon Horse
>> Show in PA wearing one hat or the other.....master of the hunt and
>> all that, you know!
>> He was a Hollywood version of an ace pilot. Dark wavy hair,
>> brown/black eyes, drum major for high school band..... the women
>> loved him...he had quite a flair.
>>
>> Look forward to your reply. With appreciation M. Preston
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Ray Harlow <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> Send me his name and I will check Ancestry.com and Fold3 for you. Ray
>>> Harlow
>>>
>>> ------------------------------****--------------------
>>>
>>> From: "Madaline Preston" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2013 12:42 PM
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Subject: [VA-ROOTS] veteran's info
>>>
>>> I need a resource and am reaching out to this list for help.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> My father's brother died in 1984 leaving no children. Now, at 76 yrs, I
>>>> am
>>>> the oldest person.....the matriarch....in the line and trying to get the
>>>> family history down for my grandchildren. The brother was a WWII dive
>>>> bomber pilot, flying off the USS Essex at Tarawa, Wake and Truk
>>>> Islands. I
>>>> have tried to obtain his service records but have been advised that
>>>> since
>>>> I
>>>> am not a direct descendant, his child, grandchild, etc., these records
>>>> are
>>>> not available to me.
>>>>
>>>> Is there more than one way to skin this cat?
>>>>
>>>> M Preston
>>>>
>>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
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>>>> >
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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