Military search for Gramma

[4spdragtop]

Hi all, after a recent thread by @Righty Tighty in regards to some help ID'ing some Military stuff, it got me thinking about my Grammas half brother(same Mother, different father) and hopefully some of you may be able to help find some info about him. Unfortunately he passed away in 1987 or 1988.
I actually met him while on a trip to California back in 1986, and a very cool dude! He had a white 67 GTS too. His name is Harold Robert Anderson and according to Gramma his date of birth is May 9 OR 11 1914.
While we were visiting, he showed me some very cool old military photos, big 8x10 black and whites. The one that stuck out to me was the picture of an Apollo recovery mission he was on. Pic was taken from the recovery ship and showed the capsule floating in the ocean.
He had lots of pics and stories but that is the one that sticks out to me.
I have spent numerous hours searching archives and ship logs, whatever is available online anyway without any luck so far. I thought maybe an actual naval/military officer may be able to find something?I do have a pic of Robert somewhere and once I find it I'll post it. He is actually in uniform in the pic.
So to recap, Harold Robert Anderson, DOB May 9 OR 11 1914, passed away in 1987 or 88, not sure where he all served, but living in SD, I would imagine he spent some time there?
Also played a role in one of the early(maybe the 1st) Apollo recovery mission.
Gramma turns 100 this year bless her soul, so would like to pass on some kind of info to her.
Thanks!

 

[4spdragtop]

Ok, found a pic of a pic of Harold, good lookin guy! Unfortunately when I met him Alzheimers had started to set in pretty good. Gramma has this pic hanging at her place. Also heres a pic of Gramma arriving in style with Dad for Thanksgiving in 2012 I believe.
Thanks for any help.

 

[oldkimmer]

Good luck in your search Steve. Hope you find him/his family. Kim

 

[WV64Signet]

Cool pics... wish you could see his rate in the pic...

You might find a Cruise Book if you're able to narrow down the ship. There are a number of them associated with each launch beyond the Personnel Recovery Ship

Apollo-Saturn 7 (AS-7) - October 11-22, 1968

USS Essex (PRS)
USS Arneb
USS Cambria
USS Cochrane
USS Henry Tucker
USS Nicholas
USS Paiute
USS Ponchatoula
USS Rupertus

Apollo-Saturn 8 (AS-8) - December 21-27, 1968

USS Yorktown (PRS)
USS Arlington
USS Chipola
USS Chuckawan
USS Cochrane
USS Francis Marion
USS Guadalcanal
USS Nicholas
USS Rankin
USS Rupertus
USS Salinan
USS Sandoval

Apollo-Saturn 9 (AS-9) - March 3-13, 1969

USS Guadalcanal (PRS)
USS Algol
USS Cochrane
USS Leonard F. Mason
USS Nicholas
USS Paiute

Apollo-Saturn 10 (AS-10) - May 18-26, 1969

USS Princeton (PRS)
USS Arlington
USS Carpenter
USS Chilton
USS Ozark
USS Rich
USS Salinan

More listed here:
https://history.nasa.gov/ships.html

 

[4spdragtop]

Thanks! I was hoping you would chime in. Now a silly question, rate means rank? I can take a look at the pic and see if theres more information under the matting.
Thanks for the ship lists, I'll get to digging.

Cool pics... wish you could see his rate in the pic...

You might find a Cruise Book if you're able to narrow down the ship. There are a number of them associated with each launch beyond the Personnel Recovery Ship

Apollo-Saturn 7 (AS-7) - October 11-22, 1968

USS Essex (PRS)
USS Arneb
USS Cambria
USS Cochrane
USS Henry Tucker
USS Nicholas
USS Paiute
USS Ponchatoula
USS Rupertus

Apollo-Saturn 8 (AS-8) - December 21-27, 1968

USS Yorktown (PRS)
USS Arlington
USS Chipola
USS Chuckawan
USS Cochrane
USS Francis Marion
USS Guadalcanal
USS Nicholas
USS Rankin
USS Rupertus
USS Salinan
USS Sandoval

Apollo-Saturn 9 (AS-9) - March 3-13, 1969

USS Guadalcanal (PRS)
USS Algol
USS Cochrane
USS Leonard F. Mason
USS Nicholas
USS Paiute

Apollo-Saturn 10 (AS-10) - May 18-26, 1969

USS Princeton (PRS)
USS Arlington
USS Carpenter
USS Chilton
USS Ozark
USS Rich
USS Salinan

More listed here:
https://history.nasa.gov/ships.html

 

[d5667]

Good luck Steve, I don’t have any help for you I’m sorry to say but keeping this alive may help.

 

[WV64Signet]

Thanks! I was hoping you would chime in. Now a silly question, rate means rank? I can take a look at the pic and see if theres more information under the matting.
Thanks for the ship lists, I'll get to digging.

So a "Rate" is their job category basically... Aviation, Gunner's Mate....etc...etc... and their grade (rank)

I have a feeler out to a Navy Vet buddy who may have access to online records through the Navy Museum. Not sure it exists...

(Edit to Add... - if there is a shoulder insignia in the picture that might help)

 

[4spdragtop]

Well, Lori and I went to visit Gramma today at the home. 1st time 1 was there in over 2 years, thanks to Covid. She was in pretty good spirits. She wasnt in her room, so we went on a search lol. She was out in "general population" socializing. Had a great visit, but time is catching up with her. Eyesight and hearing diminishing more and more, but she still has all her faculties and "with it". Talked about the farm and Grampa. I brought a coffee for her from Tim Hortons, that was guzzled back in no time flat lol
I asked her about "Andy", he preferred that as a nickname instead of Harold lol.
Gramma thinks that most of his Navy time was in San Diego and was in for 33 years. After that apparently he was Postmaster for USPS?? 1st I've heard of that and I wonder if Gramma is confused as my Grampa(other side of family) was a Postmaster for Canada Post lol.
That being said her memory is pretty dang good!!(see note on pic).
I took Andy's pic down as I thought I'll look for notes on back....yep! She was bang-on with date too!
Anyway enough rambling, heres pics...
Oh and there is shoulder "markings", anyone decipher what his rank is at that time? This pic is around 1941-42 at approx 27 years old.
Thanks again!
Wifes name was Lotus, sons name was David.
Added some more pics of our family and Grammas friend Gladys, great gal with a sense of humor and a spitfire. Grew up knowing Neil Young(spoiled brat she said) lol, and her son used to own Spankys Harley Davidson in Peterborough.

 

[1WildRT]

Petty Officer 3rd class, looks like Aviation Ordnance but the insignia is a little different... Could be an older version..

 

[1WildRT]

Okay, little looking around, I'm thinking Fire control...

 

[4spdragtop]

Thanks for that! I'll do more digging and ask Mom to see what light she can shed on this. Thanks!

Petty Officer 3rd class, looks like Aviation Ordnance but the insignia is a little different... Could be an older version..

View attachment 1715880619

Okay, little looking around, I'm thinking Fire control...

View attachment 1715880624

 

[4spdragtop]

The logo/winged part is different on Andy's vs the one you posted.
Thanks for that, I'm enjoying the hunt lol.

Okay, little looking around, I'm thinking Fire control...

View attachment 1715880624

 

[1WildRT]

Like I mentioned, there are differences, reason I initially thought ordnance & then suggested fire control...

The wings definitely make it an aviation rate.. The rate badges I found are current or at least semi current... Through the years they change, his clearly are early... The all white badges where old school when I served in the mid 70's... I'm guessing late 50's through the mid-late 60's...

 

[4spdragtop]

Yep, one site mentioned that ranks and badges "merged" so it makes it difficult. I saw a couple references to Petty Officer(single v). Then another site I found this pic. Warrant Officer, with "Aviation Ordinance Technician", sure looks similar to his.
I believe Andy's pic was taken in '41 or 42? She wrote on the back of pic that he was approx 27 at the time.
Thanks again.

Like I mentioned, there are differences, reason I initially thought ordnance & then suggested fire control...

The wings definitely make it an aviation rate.. The rate badges I found are current or at least semi current... Through the years they change, his clearly are early... The all white badges where old school when I served in the mid 70's... I'm guessing late 50's through the mid-late 60's...

 

[WV64Signet]

Looks like the rate insignia carries over across ordinance, fire control and ordinance turrets.

That limits where he may have worked moreso than if he'd been something like a Machinist mate, etc. Not sure of what carriers worked out of SD during WWII, USS Midway was post war. There were a number of Aux Airfields and ordinance related sites around.

Hope you score a good lead. You could always request military records by FOIA if you have his service number / SSN