Thursday, October 31, 2019

George Dietrich Burial Info and further research

After finding no obituary, tribute or place of burial for George J. Dietrich, I considered that as a retired US Navy veteran, he would have qualified for burial in a VA National Cemetery.  I then conducted a search using the VA "grave locator" function and found George Dietrich listed as having been interred at Butler Center Cemetery, Wolcott, NY.

I ran the same search using the VA "grave locator" using his mother's info and there was no listing. It is possible Dietrich's mother was also buried at Butler Center Cemetery since his father was provided a burial by the Veterans Administration.

I don't know how Douglas Dietrich managed to obtain a VA marker reading "WW2, Korea, Vietnam" - because his father's records do not show service in the Korea AO (1950-53) and he was not deployed to the Vietnam AO (WestPAC 1964) and retired August 16, 1965. (see below)

George Dietrich was not awarded the Korean Service Medal Ribbon; Republic of Korea War Service Medal Ribbon; Vietnam Service Medal Ribbon or Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal Ribbon.   (See below)

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/679328/memorial-search?firstName=George&lastName=Dietrich

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/679328/butler-center-cemetery

https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/index.html


George Dietrich served with various units, shore stations and vessels on the east coast of the USA (Atlantic Fleet) from 1950-55.

https://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/vfa15/Pages/default.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA-15_(U.S._Navy) (NAS Cecil Field, FL 1952-57)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Gilbert_Islands (Atlantic Fleet 1952-55)

                                                       USS Gilbert Islands - CVE-107

"Following the outbreak of the Korean War in the summer of 1950, many mothballed warships were recalled to service, including Gilbert Islands which recommissioned at Philadelphia on 7 September1951Capt. Carl E. Giese in command.

 After a six-month overhaul at Boston Naval Shipyard starting on 25 November, the escort carrier joined the Atlantic Fleet on 1 August 1952. The warship sailed eight days later with a cargo of jets for Yokohama, Japan, arriving on 18 September, and returned to her new homeport of Quonset Point, R.I., on 22 October. Gilbert Islands got underway 5 January 1953 for a short training cruise to the West Indies, returning to New England waters in the spring to continue those duties through the summer and fall of that year." 

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/gilbert-islands.html

George Dietrichs' first ship assignment after WW2 was the USS Virgo (AKA-20)  June 1949. 


"She completed repairs in August 1946 and, on the 21st, began a series of voyages from the west coast to American bases in the Far East. She carried provisions and stores to bases in the Philippines, in the Marianas, in Japan, and in China. She also made side trips to Okinawa, the Admiralty Islands, and Korea. That routine lasted until the latter half of 1949"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Virgo_(AKA-20)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Midway_(CV-41)


USS Midway (CVA 41) WestPac Cruise Book 1963-64



George Dietrich was aboard the Midway for only two months (May-July 1964) which could explain why he does not appear in the Cruise Book. 

USS Midway (CVA 41) WestPac Cruise Book 1965



I could not find Dietrich in the 1965 Cruise Book


US Navy Eligibility for Vietnam Awards:

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL
For six months direct combat support or service in South Vietnam between March 1, 1961, and March 28, 1973. Also for those wounded, captured or killed in action or in the line of duty during the same period.


VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL
For service in Southwest Asia and contiguous waters or air space thereover from July 4, 1965, through March 28, 1973.






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