Military Service Number?

Bill_Ace_350

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Found a French Walking Liberty coin in a jar of old coins my dad has. Appears to have been made into some kind of Identification Tag for a U.S. Serviceman. Back of coin is polished smooth and is engraved with 4 lines-

Name
Unit
Service Number (6 digits)
U.S.A.


Would like to return it to nearest living relative if possible. Does anyone know how to look up a Service Number without submitting a FOIA request?
 
Found a French Walking Liberty coin in a jar of old coins my dad has. Appears to have been made into some kind of Identification Tag for a U.S. Serviceman. Back of coin is polished smooth and is engraved with 4 lines-

Name
Unit
Service Number (6 digits)
U.S.A.


Would like to return it to nearest living relative if possible. Does anyone know how to look up a Service Number without submitting a FOIA request?
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Hello Bill,

This is a bit of a stab in the dark, but I could only find one Eckerson B.L. in the Nara lists. However the ASN number is not the same as engraved on the Half Dollar you have. BUT, he re-enlisted in 1946 and so it's just possible that you have an item that he'd owned prior to 1946...

I found his obituary which you may want to try and follow up, as the family might be able to confirm or deny what outfit he was with during the war, i.e. Engineers.

Nice find, Best of luck!!



RAPID CITY - Byron Eckerson, 75, Rapid City, died Saturday, March 15, 2003, at his home in Rapid City following an extended illness.

He was born July 17, 1927, in Omaha, NE, to Ray Lee and Vendla Marie (Roos) Eckerson. He moved at a young age to Worthington, MN. He entered the US Army on February 15, 1946, and was honorably discharged on April 15, 1947. He returned to Worthington, where he worked various construction jobs.

He married Doris Ann Feltman on December 18, 1954, in Worthington. He later attended school for and attained a plumbing license. This allowed him to install heating and air conditioning services, which he did until retiring in 1979.

He and his family lived in various places, including Sioux Falls, and in 1993 moved to Rapid City.

He enjoyed camping, traveling and was an avid bingo player.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Eckerson, Rapid City; 2 daughters, Jan Pingeon, Rapid City, SD, Pam Rederth, Piedmont, SD; grandchildren, Ariel, Chad, Kayla, Brandy, Bo and Coby; great-grandchildren, Breanna, Monet, Victoria, Luke, Lilly Ross, Ian and Ivan; 2 sisters, Betty Baum, Worthington, MN, Beverly Hutt, Sioux Falls; 4 brothers, Merle Eckerson, Worthington, MN, Russell Eckerson, Cold Spring, MN, Sidney Eckerson, Worthington, MN, Dale Eckerson, Worthington, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Stanley Eckerson; and 2 sisters, Rosie Novak and June Miller.

Visitation will be Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home.

Services will be Friday, March 21, at 11 a.m. at Foothills Community Baptist Church in Piedmont.

Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home, Rapid City, SD, is in care of arrangements.


Read more: http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/lo...9-52d4-b90f-347e2d8cc24d.html#ixzz1XjS0UzW2ts.
 
I know how I would feel to have something like that returned to me, I still carry one of my grandfathers WWII dog tags on my key ring with one of my own.
 
Hello Bill,

This is a bit of a stab in the dark, but I could only find one Eckerson B.L. in the Nara lists. However the ASN number is not the same as engraved on the Half Dollar you have. BUT, he re-enlisted in 1946 and so it's just possible that you have an item that he'd owned prior to 1946...

I found his obituary which you may want to try and follow up, as the family might be able to confirm or deny what outfit he was with during the war, i.e. Engineers.

Nice find, Best of luck!!



RAPID CITY - Byron Eckerson, 75, Rapid City, died Saturday, March 15, 2003, at his home in Rapid City following an extended illness.

He was born July 17, 1927, in Omaha, NE, to Ray Lee and Vendla Marie (Roos) Eckerson. He moved at a young age to Worthington, MN. He entered the US Army on February 15, 1946, and was honorably discharged on April 15, 1947. He returned to Worthington, where he worked various construction jobs.

He married Doris Ann Feltman on December 18, 1954, in Worthington. He later attended school for and attained a plumbing license. This allowed him to install heating and air conditioning services, which he did until retiring in 1979.

He and his family lived in various places, including Sioux Falls, and in 1993 moved to Rapid City.

He enjoyed camping, traveling and was an avid bingo player.

He is survived by his wife, Doris Eckerson, Rapid City; 2 daughters, Jan Pingeon, Rapid City, SD, Pam Rederth, Piedmont, SD; grandchildren, Ariel, Chad, Kayla, Brandy, Bo and Coby; great-grandchildren, Breanna, Monet, Victoria, Luke, Lilly Ross, Ian and Ivan; 2 sisters, Betty Baum, Worthington, MN, Beverly Hutt, Sioux Falls; 4 brothers, Merle Eckerson, Worthington, MN, Russell Eckerson, Cold Spring, MN, Sidney Eckerson, Worthington, MN, Dale Eckerson, Worthington, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Stanley Eckerson; and 2 sisters, Rosie Novak and June Miller.

Visitation will be Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home.

Services will be Friday, March 21, at 11 a.m. at Foothills Community Baptist Church in Piedmont.

Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery.

Behrens-Wilson Funeral Home, Rapid City, SD, is in care of arrangements.


Read more: http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/lo...9-52d4-b90f-347e2d8cc24d.html#ixzz1XjS0UzW2ts.

Appreciate the research. The name is spelled very clearly on the coin. It would seem like I could find an exact match in the records. Oh well, I think I will request any information via FOIA and see what there is to see. Thanks again.
 
Appreciate the research. The name is spelled very clearly on the coin. It would seem like I could find an exact match in the records. Oh well, I think I will request any information via FOIA and see what there is to see. Thanks again.

Hi,

As mentioned earlier, I searched the name rather than the ASN and this brought up the name and matched details as in the obituary. There were no other B.L Eckersons listed in the NARA records so I think this is one and the same guy. To me the ASN on the coin implies that he was in the Regular Army before the war, which is contrary to what the obituary says.

A FOIA request will hopefully give you more confirmation. It's a nice item to own, and I applaud you for taking the steps to return it to the family.

Best of Luck!
Kind Regards,
Simon.
 
That has to be one of the coolest finds I have ever seen. The history and story to be told for generations should you be able to reunite this coin with the family is priceless. good luck.
 
Don't take this as gospel, but I think that the 6 digit number is pre, or very early world war two. I'm thinking that later in the war they went to 7 and 8 digit numbers.
 
Don't take this as gospel, but I think that the 6 digit number is pre, or very early world war two. I'm thinking that later in the war they went to 7 and 8 digit numbers.

Could very well be. I am researching the B Co. 11th Engineers aslo. Both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps have(had) that unit designation. Think the tag belonged to a soldier though, because of the "U.S.A." on the last line....as opposed to U.S.M.C.

If I can't make any headway with the FOIA request, I won't hesitate for a minuite to request assistance from my Congressman.

Anyway, I think a family member should have it.
 
A definite positive story for metal detecting and when returned to the family a small story in the local paper would be appropriate. Lets see them ban metal detecting after a story like this - Unpatriotic.
 
That script and the two holes look more of Pre-World War II design. It was not uncommon for soldiers to have those made as their own ID tags.
 
Been there already... see my initial post on this thread.

Yes, but I just gave him the location with specific information that he could see in detail for himself.

As for the service number, I just wanted to clarify the posting...

Now, if he chooses to follow up he only has to print the details of the published records of the serviceman.

Not trying to steal your thunder, only add to it by summarizing the data.
 
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