by Mehlo, Noel
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Individuals' Request For A Copy Of Their Own Health Information, VA FORM 10-5345a
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Request For And Authorization To Release Medical Records Or Health Information, VA FORM 10-5345
Army Review Boards Agency, Application For Correction Of Military Record Under The Provisions Of Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552, DD FORM 149
This effort came to fruition as the United States Army, Human Resources Command, Awards and Decorations Branch and United States Army Review Boards Agency Army Board for Correction of Military Records evaluated our family’s submission of documentation and corrected S/Sgt Hull’s military records in 2013. They issued orders and medals where appropriate and helped close the loop on finding this Ranger who was no longer lost Appendix D.
When I studied the French coastline of Normandy where some of the overall fighting on Omaha Beach took place, and where the 5th Ranger Battalion landed and assaulted the bluffs, my sensibilities were offended at first. I originally asked myself why this isn’t a more protected location, such as Gettysburg, Antietam or other battlefields that I have visited. The more I thought about it though; the Americans who fought and died, were wounded, and survived it all did so to buy freedom for the French people. What better expression of freedom than to allow life to return and to thrive on these shores where many Americans paid the ultimate price. The French have not forgotten what was done for them here, and there are many monuments to D-Day and the Allied forces located there. As my search for this story deepened, I was moved by the story of Frenchman Mr. Franck Maurouard. This man and his family have adopted the graves of two Rangers, one from the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion and Elmo Banning from the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion. He didn’t have to do this, but he decided to, and tends to the graves in France. He has met with the men’s families and continues to honor their memory. I have been working with Franck, and consider him a friend. Freedom was the goal of the Allies, and freedom was achieved reflecting on the words of then General Eisenhower.
About a year into the course of my work, I came across the book Finding Your Father’s War, A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II US Army by Jonathan Gawne. This book is an excellent source to help you understand what it takes to research a veteran. My book is the result of taking the steps discussed in his book. By the time I found his book, I had already taken many of the steps he established.
The next several pages detail the process undertaken to find “The Lost Ranger”. This couldn’t have happened without the written works of others to investigate. Much of the journey of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion is told in very small snippets and was not readily available. To find who my grandfather actually was had to be investigated and teased out of the collective memories of those few remaining individuals who knew him. I outlined the steps I took to complete the research for this book month by month to help explain the flow of thought processes and how one clue led to the next.
On January 15, 2012, I began research of the facts presented on S/Sgt Hull’s discharge papers through internet research of the Rangers. This led me to the Descendants of World War II Rangers, Inc. Through them, I came into contact with Mr. Styles, Mr. Hudnell, Ms. Towne and Ms. Fulmer. We spent the first month trying to determine if anyone in the organization had records verifying his service as a Ranger, and in what battalion.
By early February, I sought out Mr. Dan Major of the World War 2 Medical Research Centre. He and his partner maintain a very extensive and growing database on the medical establishment during the War.
In mid February, Mr. Styles introduced me to Ranger legends Major General John C. Raaen, Jr. (ret.) and renowned author Colonel Robert W. Black (ret.). These men treated me with patience and encouragement through the process. At times, our communications became almost daily while I tried to understand certain facts or sort fact from fiction.
The first of the topics researched in February included Fort de Toulbroc’h and the 320th Infantry Regiment based on hard evidence supplied to me by my aunt as described early in the book. The research into the fort was slow, and took nearly two years to fully develop. The research on the 320th Infantry Regiment led me to the Camp San Luis Obispo Museum in California, where I began to work with historian CW2 Saundra Peralta in mid March 2012. She assisted me over the course of the next year, even becoming a contributing editor to chapters 3 and 4.
Based on the dates listed (January 7 – 19, 1944) on the Discharge papers and the information presented in the books by Glassman and Black, I began to research the HMS Mauretania II. I made great leaps forward in understanding the voyage of the vessel through the website
On March 28 and 29, 2012, I travelled to the United States Army History and Education Center in Carlisle Barracks, PA. I had been referred there by both Raaen and Black, as both men have archival holdings there. While looking through Colonel Black’s files, I came across the first definitive proof of S/Sgt Hull as a member of the 5th Rangers. He was found in B Company Morning Reports of December 16, 1943 where he was promoted to Sergeant, while at Fort Dix, NJ. This document proved he was not a replacement Ranger as had been initially proposed. The unit had not received replacements at that point. There were two other specific examples that covered his being wounded on September 2, and lost to the unit on September 4, 1944. While at USAHEC, I copied several other documents such as War Department Orders referencing the battalion and book excerpts that referenced the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion.
On March 21, 2012 the National Personnel Record Center provided a copy of his reconstructed personnel file that included about one hundred pages of medical records. These records provided the identification of the treating units, the type of treatment and the time spent at each. This enabled detailed research of the medical aspect of his service to proceed. This data became important in the eventual records collection request of the Army.
On March 24, 2012, I visited NARA at College Park, MD. While there, I viewed and copied the records of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion and the 320th Infantry Regiment. These records did not contain any specific proof of S/Sgt Hull, but they did provide evidence of what he did while in the assigned units. The leads gained through evaluation of these records opened new avenues of research as to the movements of the units.
The 94th General Hospital became the subject of research in early April 2012. Batens and Major came through with new insights and I reciprocated with them by providing them information copied from NARA they have since rolled into their own research.
Mr. Robin Cookson, an Archivist at NARA at College Park became a major help in April by pointing me in the right direction through my research at NARA, and provided great help finding records. On April 9, I made acquaintance with Mr. Brandon Wiegand, a professional researcher of
In mid April, I found the VA Records Management Center in St. Louis, MO. The staff there helped me greatly in finding and obtaining the VA records of S/Sgt Hull that had been archived away at the Dayton Federal Records Center. I received these records in June 2012.
In April 2012, I continued research on the 320th Infantry Regiment and came across the website www.coulthart.com/ and its owner Ms. Roberta Russo. She became a trusted source of information on history of the unit, to include biographical pages of members. She eventually created a page in honor of my grandfather on her unit history website:
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Mr. Franck Maurouard, French historian and I made acquaintance on April 15, 2012. Our relationship continues to this day, and I have been impressed with his patriotism for France and care for fallen Rangers. He aided greatly in all things France, including period and current photographs and copies of unit records. He also helps me when I have a language barrier as he is bilingual.
In September 2012, I made contact with British historians Peter Wright and Michael Boyce and began collaboration concerning the 74th General Hospital.
I went to the Ohio Department of Health, Department of Vital Statistics in Columbus, Ohio for a copy of his death certificate in October 2012. On November 19, 2012, I made contact with Dr. Alice Kaplan, author of The Interpreter. She wrote extensively on Captain George Whittington. She sent me various items of importance from her own research that covered summer 1944.
In March 2013, I read the book Bloody Omaha, My Remembrances of That Day, by James Robert Copeland. I reached out to the biographer, Gary M. Graves. He eventually put me in contact with Copeland. We met in the fall of 2013, and it turned out he was a friend of my grandfather. He shared many personal details I could have learned nowhere else.
On May 3, 2013 I travelled to the Ohio University (OU) in Athens, OH and visited the Cornelius Ryan Collection and curator Doug McCabe. Ryan was the author of The Longest Day. His holdings at the university are meticulous. Mr. McCabe helped me to research the files concerning the Rangers and 29th Infantry Division. These records became my inspiration for how I would handle the chapters on D-Day. He has worked with me since our visit, and I have committed to donate a copy of my research to OU. I spent the summer months researching every possible aspect of the D-Day invasion in relationship to the Rangers.
General Raaen put me in contact with Ranger re-enactor George Despotis and his group in May 2013. The initial concept for my cover was brought to fruition through Mr. Despotis. He worked with SSG Adkins on the cover photo.
I paid another visit to the archives on June 14, 2013. I looked at the unit records for the 99th Infantry BN (sep) and 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion to investigate any cross-references with the actions concerning the 5th Rangers. I also captured photos of Camp Forrest, Mayenne France and the British Assault Training Center.
In August 2013, I collaborated with noted railroad historians Roger Thorne and Dan Cupper regarding the World War II Troop Train movements in the States. In late August, I made contact with British historian Mr. Richard T. Bass and began collaborating with him regarding the USATC and Ranger training in Braunton, England. He was very helpful and interested in the work. Much of the data presented in Chapter 12 is attributable to him.
I investigated Swanage England with the help of British historian Mike Ford. He helped me understand the town and surrounding cliffs. Together, we pieced together the training in detail. Also in September, I began corresponding with British historian Richard Drew. He was kind enough to travel to Omaha Beach and gather source material and photos for me. He was also an invaluable resource in pinpointing the Marshalling Areas in England.
September also saw collaboration with British Geology Professors Dr. Ian West and Dr. Alan Holiday. We collaborated on the cliffs along the southern coast of England. They graciously allowed me access to their work in describing the places and geology involved in the training for D-Day. This collaboration led to an expanded understanding of just what was accomplished by the training along the cliffs. It is one thing to read something like, “Then the Rangers went to Swanage for cliff training.” It is another thing to understand the places. This collaboration assisted the recollections of the remaining veterans as we spoke about this phase of training.
In November, 2013, I had the pleasure of making acquaintance with Mr. Mark Weast, son of Carl Weast. We worked closely together to share information. I then made acquaintance with Mr. Elmo Banning the nephew of fallen Ranger Elmo Banning. The collaboration among the three of us has opened new doors of understanding and built friendships that should endure into the future. Finally in November, I made acquaintance with Randall Ching and his daughter Bonnie Louie. We correspond and talk frequently, and the information provided by Randall has personalized this effort in ways that I never expected when I began.
There were many other individuals and organizations that have contributed in big and small ways to this project. The research aspect of this book may seem detailed and overwhelming. The research is the vehicle that enabled S/Sgt Hull to be found. The Army has corrected his records and taken interest in this veteran due to these exhaustive efforts. The little clues that I had at the beginning from the single note from my mom and the discharge paper led to the development of this story. With each new lead came new avenues of investigation. Not all of the leads were fruitful. Other clues gave way to even more expanded paths of searching. Seemingly innocuous things such as letterhead on correspondence or identifying marks inside articles of clothing provided vital links to his early military experiences. It was important to plan trips to the National Archives carefully and with definite purpose. There are only so many hours allowed for research daily and so many records to sift through. The other trips to USAHEC and to Ohio University also had to be planned and timed properly so I was able to ask the correct questions and look at the right documentation.
In conclusion, this effort has led me to know my grandpa without having ever met him. I made acquaintance with family I never knew. I made friends and contacts around the world that I hope to maintain relationships with through the rest of my life. I worked with the United States Army and the NPRC to correct his official records. When I received and held his newly cut orders for the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart and held the medals in my hand, I wept for joy. He was accepted and welcomed back into the fold of his Ranger brothers. This helped me gain an understanding of the Rangers and the U.S. Infantryman in World War II. The story of these men and their families is one of great sacrifice and loss. Some families such as those of Elmo Banning paid the ultimate price during the war. Others families such as Lt. Colonel Max Schneider, S/Sgt Clarence Styles or S/Sgt Herbert Hull paid the price in heavy ways after the war, in some cases decades after. Some families continue to pay the price. It is my hope that this work will enable you as the reader to gain an understanding of what these men went through. The importance of what they did for the freedom of the world is immeasurable. I hope that by reading this work, you gained a good understanding of what S/Sgt Hull did, and what why it is important for our family to pass on. For any family with a veteran whose contributions to the national experience seem to be incomplete or lost, the journey to find them is one that is rewarding. When I started all of this, I had no intention of writing a book. The ability to tell this story to those who might care is a personal bonus. Our family has been able to uncover a lost page to our history. As was stated as a goal in the early part of the book, we brought him home to a family who never really knew him.
Most of all, I give honor and glory to God for these men and the sacrifices they made for us. Thank you for taking the time to read this work.
Rangers Lead the Way!
In loving memory:
S/Sgt Herbert Stanton Hull
5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, B Company, 2nd Platoon, 2nd Section
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Noel F. Mehlo, Jr. is the grandson of the late S/Sgt Herbert Stanton Hull. Prior to 2012, all that was known of his grandfather’s service came from a hand-written note that contained a mere fifty words. After his grandmother’s passing in late 2011, Mr. Mehlo inherited his grandfather’s Ranger uniform and a single discharge paper. The information sparked a curiosity regarding the life and service of S/Sgt Hull including his unit.
Prior to becoming an environmental scientist, Mr. Mehlo served in the U.S. Army as a Counterintelligence Agent. He had followed his grandfather’s example to serve. Mr. Mehlo combined his tenacity along with his skills as a researcher and intelligence professional to explore the details regarding the 5th Ranger I
nfantry Battalion and his grandfather’s service. Using these skills, he sought out veterans and their families and earned their trust and support for the project.
Most of his professional written work includes reports and technical guidance. He teaches how to conduct historic research as well as a myriad of other topics for the Federal Highway Administration in the transportation industry in which he now works.
The photo above is of the author (left) and Ranger J.R. Copeland (right) taken at JR’s home in Michigan on September 28, 2013.
APPENDIX A: S/SGT HULL DISCHARGE
THE LOST RANGER, A SOLDIER’S STORY
APPENDIX B: HEAVY INFANTRY COMPANY TABLE OF ORGANIZATION
APPENDIX C: 94TH GENERAL HOSPITAL GO#15, 20 SEP 1944
APPENDIX D: S/SGT HULL BEONZE STAR & PURPLE HEART CITATIONS
WORKS CITED
PROLOGUE 1. After Action Report, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, Sept 44; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Record Identification, Entry: 427 WWII Operations Reports 1944-1948, [File # INBN-5-0 all boxes], located in boxes 16916-16919; See file : INBN-5.0.3 4297 Ops Rpts.
2. Unit Journal, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, Sep 44; NARA, College Park, Record Identification, Entry: 427 WWII Operations Reports 1944-1948, [File # INBN-5-0 all boxes], located in boxes 16916-16919; See file: INBN-5.0.7 4933 Jnl.
CHAPTER 1 – THE QUEST FOR MY GRANDFATHER 1. S/Sgt Herbert Stanton Hull Discharge WD AGO Form 53-55, dated April 19, 1945
2. Black, Robert W., Rangers In World War II, New York: Ballantine, 1992
