Pennsylvania Veteran Compensation Applications for World War II now on Ancestry.com

Dear Grandparents,
Yesterday Ed's brother-in-law Al Chamberlain sent the photo below of Ed's Uncle Donald.

Chief Machinist's Mate Donald E. Haas, USCG receives retirement congratulations from
Commander Franklin J. Miller, USCG, Shipping Commissioner for New York March 5, 1964

Along with the photograph came the image of a Coast Guard press release which summarizes Donald's service to our nation.

Viewing it helped me remember what a character Uncle Donald was. Ed's parents had been divorced before he was a teenager so I expect that Pauline had recruited, no, make that drafted, Uncle Donald to have that "Father to Son" talk with him. One can imagine that after twenty years in the service, the primary subject was keeping clean and avoiding disease. When we were first dating, Uncle Donald wanted to treat us to an evening meal. I think he was really trying to decide if I was an acceptable date for his nephew. He took us to watch the "trotters" at one of the race tracks in Pennsylvania and taught us how to bet on horses and what to look for. I don't remember any of us winning even $2 at the track that night.

While entering the information in my www.ancestry.com family tree, I did another search for additional records and up popped an entry for Donald Edward Haas in a new data base, the Pennsylvania Veteran Compensation Applications for WWII. They even provide the transcription of the text in the document.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania World War II Veterans' Compensation Bureau Application for World War II Compensation to be used by Honorably discharged Veteran or person still in Service 1. Name of Applicant: Haas, Donald Edward 2. Address to which Check and Mail to be Sent: 6062 Girard Avenue, Phila. 31 PA 3. Date and Place of Birth: November 2, 1924, Philadelphia, Pa. 4. Name Under Which Applicant Served in World War II: Haas, Donald Edward 5. Date of Beginning and Ending of Each Period of Service between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946:: 4-22-43 to 4-17-43 1-31-44 to 3-15-44 -- 2-13-15 to 5-31-45 7-27-46 to 10-23-46 7. Date and Place Applicant entered Active Service: April 22, 43 Phila. Pa. 8. Service of Serial Number assigned to Applicant 817-58-02 crossed out 8175802 written in. 9. Date and Place Applicant was Separated form Active Service: April 20, 1949 10. Is Applicant Now Serving in Armed Forces on Active Duty? Yes is checked. 11. Mark X Above to indicate Sex and Branch of Service Male X, Navy X 12. Applicant's Residence at Time of Entry into Active Service: 6062 Girard Avenue, Phila, 31 PA. 13. Applicant was registered Under Selective Service as Follows: #137 Phila, USA PA Date Application was received: May 2, 1950 Batch Control Number: 22943 Active Domestic Service: 9 Months $90.00 Active Foreign Service 26 Months $390.00 Total Amt. Due: $480. Audited by DB?? Approved for Payment: Jul 27, 1950

This is a treasure trove for my husband's side of the family who all came from around Philadelphia. A quick search also led me to the records for Ed's step father, Carmen Anthony Della Penna

Application list's Carmen as having entered the Navy in Sampson, New York
and having been discharged at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas

and Uncle Jack Beaumont

John Joseph Beaumont, Jr. entered the Army at Camp Lee, Virginia
and was discharged from the 1318 SCU Hospital Center at Pickett, Virginia

Unfortunately, I will have to wait to find the application of Ed's father Edward Ebert Kelly, as Ancestry has only entered the records through the letter H.

On this 72nd anniversary of Pearl Harbor, while another family member, James "Jim" Reynolds' Pennsylvania World War II and USS Iowa BB-61 veteran's life is being celebrated, I am thankful again for their service and the records that will help us fill in the many blanks.

Love,

Cecily