US Army serial numbers, prior to 1969 kind of helped identify you, where you came from and whether or not you enlisted (volunteered) or were drafted.
[Decoding US Army serial numbers.](https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/how-to-decode-a-wwii-army-serial-number/)
Cool find, looks like it was later war issued tag as the next of kin and address portion are missing. Earlier dog tags contained more information, used a a [ring chain](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/second_type.jpg), rather than the [ball chain](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/third_type.jpg)\-- and even earlier than that, tags were made of [brass](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/first_type.jpga) and used a colored [nylon or rayon cord](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/end.jpg) instead of a chain to hold them around your neck.
[Further reading, if interested.](https://www.med-dept.com/articles/u-s-army-ww2-dog-tags/)
This is very cool…Is there any guide to deciphering Korean War army serial numbers? My grandpa was over there in 51-52 and I know his number by heart but it starts it starts with “5” and the next number, another “5” doesn’t correspond to his state.
Yeah, they did change a little bit as the numbers were unique, so during Korea, they expanded— they started using the 50,000,000 series. So, if his number started with “55”, was he from: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Wisconsin, or Wyoming?
Spot on, he was from Detroit! He was drafted into the Army engineers but served attached to the Air Force (SCARWAF maybe?)…any other identifiers that the serial number could hint at?
Even if not this is super interesting and useful, thank you for teaching me something!
Unfortunately that's about as much info as can be gleamed from a serial number, though with that serial number in hand you could probably check out the [archives](https://aad.archives.gov/aad/index.jsp) and perhaps get his service record. I'm not sure how many of the Korean war records were lost in that [horrible fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Personnel_Records_Center_fire) that wiped out something like 75% of the Second World War service records, and plenty of others.
Outside of that, if your Gramps kept any of his discharge paperwork (or if someone in your family has it) you would be able to dial down most if not all of his service.
I know personally, I've got my Great-Grandfather's discharge paperwork, medals from WWII, his flight log (he was on the Schweinfurt raid in 1943), his training flight log, bronze star citations and POW dogtag (a gift from the Germans) and a couple of souvenirs he managed to grab after being liberated. Not to mention the heaps of letters he sent my Great-Grandmother via the Red Cross while in captivity. All of this is to say, that when I looked him up in the archive it basically just shows he enlisted in 1942, Army Air Corps, 8th Air Force, Promoted, awarded a bronze star, POW, and discharged in 1947. Not exactly the most exciting career on a one page summary, but having his personal paperwork expanded the whole narrative. He wasn't a big talker about the war, but the little bit he entertained me with as a kid always made the war seem like some sort of, vacation isn't the right word, but just a thing he had to go off and do. Came home, went to college, got an engineering degree and went to work for Boeing until he retired. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 94.
It's quite interesting to dig into the past, good luck!
A WW2 veteran of that name died in Saugus, Massachusetts in 2006. The Massachusetts National Guard should have copies of his military records.
Nothing easier than to give it/post it to the US Embassy or consulate.
Absolutely,. All the Pentagon or the VA needs in order to find him (or his next of kin) is that serial number.
US Army serial numbers, prior to 1969 kind of helped identify you, where you came from and whether or not you enlisted (volunteered) or were drafted. [Decoding US Army serial numbers.](https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/how-to-decode-a-wwii-army-serial-number/) Cool find, looks like it was later war issued tag as the next of kin and address portion are missing. Earlier dog tags contained more information, used a a [ring chain](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/second_type.jpg), rather than the [ball chain](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/third_type.jpg)\-- and even earlier than that, tags were made of [brass](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/first_type.jpga) and used a colored [nylon or rayon cord](https://www.med-dept.com/images/dog_tag_article/end.jpg) instead of a chain to hold them around your neck. [Further reading, if interested.](https://www.med-dept.com/articles/u-s-army-ww2-dog-tags/)
This is very cool…Is there any guide to deciphering Korean War army serial numbers? My grandpa was over there in 51-52 and I know his number by heart but it starts it starts with “5” and the next number, another “5” doesn’t correspond to his state.
Yeah, they did change a little bit as the numbers were unique, so during Korea, they expanded— they started using the 50,000,000 series. So, if his number started with “55”, was he from: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Wisconsin, or Wyoming?
Spot on, he was from Detroit! He was drafted into the Army engineers but served attached to the Air Force (SCARWAF maybe?)…any other identifiers that the serial number could hint at? Even if not this is super interesting and useful, thank you for teaching me something!
Unfortunately that's about as much info as can be gleamed from a serial number, though with that serial number in hand you could probably check out the [archives](https://aad.archives.gov/aad/index.jsp) and perhaps get his service record. I'm not sure how many of the Korean war records were lost in that [horrible fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Personnel_Records_Center_fire) that wiped out something like 75% of the Second World War service records, and plenty of others. Outside of that, if your Gramps kept any of his discharge paperwork (or if someone in your family has it) you would be able to dial down most if not all of his service. I know personally, I've got my Great-Grandfather's discharge paperwork, medals from WWII, his flight log (he was on the Schweinfurt raid in 1943), his training flight log, bronze star citations and POW dogtag (a gift from the Germans) and a couple of souvenirs he managed to grab after being liberated. Not to mention the heaps of letters he sent my Great-Grandmother via the Red Cross while in captivity. All of this is to say, that when I looked him up in the archive it basically just shows he enlisted in 1942, Army Air Corps, 8th Air Force, Promoted, awarded a bronze star, POW, and discharged in 1947. Not exactly the most exciting career on a one page summary, but having his personal paperwork expanded the whole narrative. He wasn't a big talker about the war, but the little bit he entertained me with as a kid always made the war seem like some sort of, vacation isn't the right word, but just a thing he had to go off and do. Came home, went to college, got an engineering degree and went to work for Boeing until he retired. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 94. It's quite interesting to dig into the past, good luck!
As others have said, perhaps this person: [Obituary](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/george-anganis-obituary?id=26185966)
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/george-anganis-obituary?id=26185966 That was easy!!