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Cherry
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Last Login: 8/2/2006 12:59 PM
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Hello,
I am trying to fill in the gaps of my grandfathers' service, and am looking for the unit he served with in Bremerhaven, Germany.
LeRoy E. Shulenberg initially served as a Pathfinder with B/506th from 1942-1945. He was an original Taccoa trooper and made 3 jumps in WW2 (Normandy, Holland, Bastogne). He was discharged in 1945.
In May 1948 he reenlisted with the 82nd, and I know that he arrived in Bremerhaven in Dec 1949. He was a rifle range instructor, and was also commisioned while there. He returned to the States as a 1st Lt. in May 1953, and returned to the 82nd.
From there, I am missing some dates and unit info, also, but I know he served in the Special Forces (I think either the 7th or 77th? Not sure). He was in Laos in 1959 and again in 1964 with operations Hotfoot/Witestar.
In 1964 he was transfered to the 173rd as a Major. That is the last dated info I have on him, but I know he was in the area at least through early 1970's, as my parents moved to Bangkok in 1968, and he was there at the time. He passed in 1986.
The missing info I am looking for is what unit he would have served with in Bremerhaven, Germany, 1949-1953. Also, I am also looking for his official discharge date. Does anyone know who to contact for that. I have heard that a fire destroyed most records from that era?
Thank you for any information you may present,
Brian Shulenberg
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Stare Master
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| Search for the National Personnel Records Center online. Once there it tells you how to submit a request for his records. You will need as much information as possible, DOB, Serial Number, where he was living when he entered service among other things will help. In 1972 or 1973 a fire at NPRC did destroy many records of Army vets. When did your grandfather retire? If it was after that his records almost certainly weren't part of that. Even if they were, NPRC has already reconstructed many of them as much as possible by getting documents from the National Archives. Start with them.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Hard Charger
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Your father was one of the 20 Pathfinders who jumped into Bastogne after the 101st was cutoff and out of communication?
The 7th SFG was a redesignation (1960) of the 77th. The 77th was formed from a division (1953) of the 10th SFG. Members of the 77th formed the 14 SFOD (1956) which left Ft. Bragg to Hawaii, then Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. LTC Simons selected organized and trained the Teams for Operation Ambidextrous, later named Hotfoot and then White Star. He was also the first White Star commander (Group I).
He must have been in Okinawa in 1964 returning to RSVN in 1965.
Your father seems to have a distinguished military carreer.
Bremen and Bremerhaven was a U.S. Army terminal port and staging area. The U.S. Army was transitioning from WWII, Occupation to Cold War during those years. Hard to nail what unit or type of unit your father may have been with.
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Cherry
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509Trooper,
Thanks for the NPRC info. I wasn't sure of the name of the office. I will definitely check it out. I am not sure of when he was discharged, that is one piece of info I am looking for.
sf11b_p,
Yes, he was one of the 20 PF's that dropped into Bastogne. He was Pathfinder in Normandy and Holland, too. Among other documentation, I found this article that gives a nice account of the Bastogne drop, and also mentions his name:
http://historynet.com/wwii/blbastogne_christmas/index.html
In regards to the Special Forces, so initially he would have been with the 77th SFG, and in 1960 would have been redesignated the 7th SFG? Could you clarify what '14 SFOD' means?
I was mistaken, he was in Laos from 1959-1962 with Hotfoot/Whitestar.
Yes he was in Okinawa in 1964. At the time he was a Major, the XO of headquarters of the Brigades 173rd Support Battalion.
So they were headed to RSVN in 1965? Do you know how long they were in Vietnam? I have no documentation yet beyond his participation in the mass exit jump on Okinawa. I am certain that the 173rd must have been his last unit.
Thank you all for helping piece this together.
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Stare Master
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The 173rd Airborne Brigade was the first major Army ground combat unit to be deployed to SVN. They arrived in 1965 and left in either late 1971 or sometime in 1972 for Ft. Campbell where they eventually became the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Hard Charger
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SFOD is Special Forces Operational Detachment, the 14 is the Detachment number.
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Friggin' Wildman!!!!
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Way kewl stuff!!!
FOB, Team-5, Team-6
D Co 101 MI (LRSD), 1st ID
92-95
C Co. (The Rock) and HHC Scouts
3-325 ABCT and 1-508 ABCT, Vicenza, Italy
95-98
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Cherry
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Last Login: 8/2/2006 12:59 PM
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Thank you everyone for the information. It has been very helpful.
I have just submitted the form 180 to the NPRC and am awaiting a response from them. On the form it states that by default, a copy of the service members' DD214 will be supplied. Will this be complete enough to show where and with what units he had served, and dates with those units?
Again, thank you very much.
Brian Shulenberg
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