Robert Harold BROWN (T-61885, O-1691696)

[Kocab Zdenek]

Hello,

is anyone able to help with following questions? I would like to know the exact date of his USAAF joining and also when he left the USAAF. And the date of his death.

Regards Zdenek Kocab

[RSwank]

He is buried in Medfield Massachusetts:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...robert-h-brown

He was born June 24, 1917 and died December 20, 1975.

According to his headstone application on Ancestry.com, Captain Brown O-1691696 joined the Army Air Forces December 5, 1943 and was released from service on December 15, 1946. (Added later: the December 5 1943 date may be when he was commissioned as an officer, not when he first joined.)


Although these citations for 3 awards (see all 3 pages) give his birthdate as August 19, 1919 his serial number is given as O-1691696 which is also on the headstone application. They also give his hometown as Medfield, MA, which also agrees with the headstone application.

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/45986

[KM1957]

Frank Olynyk shows Brown was rated as a pilot on December 5, 1943, so he joined prior to that date by quite a few months. He initially was a Flight Officer with serial of T-61885 as well. Olynyk shows the date of birth as August 19, 1919 as well, so no idea how his birth date is confused. Hope someone can sort that out.

Kent

[Leendert]

Typo or not, but his Award Card somehow gives (also existing) Medfield, Mass. instead of Medford, Mass. as hometown. See https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1387...objectPage=775

Regards, Leendert

[RSwank]

I found his draft card on Ancestry. He would have filled in the card and signed it. It lists his wife as "Alberta" which agrees with findagrave listing. However, it gives his birthday as June 26, 1917. (Not June 24, 1917.)

Not listed on his draft card (which lists his then current address) but Medfield MA is his home town (not Medford, which is also in MA.) The confusion now may only relate to his correct birthdate.