Uncle Joe Went to Armed Guard SCH Gulfport,MISS and Armed Guard Center(PAC) was on SS Cape San Martin SS Muncie Victory SS Barren Hill USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17) Im a Marine.. Iv been looking up info, on what he did while in service. We dont know where or what he was on other then his letters home. I wanted to show my dad (Uncle Joes brother) Any Info would be GREATLY appreciated. ty
What was Uncle Joe's last name and birth date (or birth year/month, or at least birth year)? I may be able to find some limited information for you.
That aside, your best bet is to try to obtain a copy of your uncle's military service record. His service record should list all of his shipboard or shoreside assignments and applicable dates, training, awards and decorations, medical records, etc. For information on obtaining his service record, see this page on the Armed Guard website that I maintain: http://armed-guard.com/searchmil.html. In particular, see section II.A.1, Records of Individuals – U.S. Military. You will need to contact the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, which is a facility maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), providing as much identifying information as you have. The Records Center likely charges a fee for researching, copying and mailing information. I would expect that the Records Center will advise you of any fee prior to beginning work on your request.
Note that since you are not next of kin to your uncle, you may not be able to obtain his full service record. (Next of kin = parent, spouse, sibling, child.) However your father is next of kin to your uncle. Therefore it would be best if the request to the Records Center was submitted by your father, in order to obtain the full service record. You can do the legwork of research, completing forms and otherwise preparing the request but the request should be signed by your father.
Here is information on the ships that you identified.
MUNCIE VICTORY was a Victory class cargo ship, built by the Permanente Metals Corporation #2 Yard in Richmond, California. She was constructed in 97 days between October 9, 1944, and January 14, 1945. She survived the war, was sold to a private shipping company in 1951, sold again in 1955, 1957 and 1959, being renamed each time and sailing under various flags, until being scrapped in Taiwan in 1971. See http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencylarge/wwtwo/kperm2.htm and scroll to hull number 576. Also see http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsM.html and scroll to the very bottom of the page.
USS CUMBERLAND SOUND was a U.S. Navy vessel (the three other ships were all civilian merchant marine ships), built by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma, Washington, commissioned August 21, 1944. She operated as a seaplane tender in the Pacific theater during World War II. She was decommissioned May 27, 1947. See http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/toddtacoma.htm and scroll to hull number 53. Also see http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/41/4117.htm for a detailed ship history and photographs. And see http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/S/e/Seaplane_Tenders.htm for general information about seaplane tenders. Toward the end of the war it was quite common for U.S. Navy Armed Guard personnel, who otherwise were assigned only to civilian merchant marine vessels, to be transferred to commissioned U.S. Navy vessels, where their experience as gunners was in demand.
Good luck.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website www.armed-guard.com