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Case File: Theodore Haley (1944)
Case File: Waddell Keith (1953)
The following is a list of “Morning Reports” for the 1016th Quartermasters Platoon at the La Junta Army Airforce Base in La Junta, Colorado from August of 1943 to February of 1944. Specifically these are the reports that relate to Pvt. Theodore W. Haley and Pvt. Waddell W. Keith. Initially we believed that Waddell Keith may have been involved in the death of Theodore Haley, but upon further review they do not appear to have been connected apart from being in the same quartermasters platoon.
These records can be found in the below titled rolls within “Series: Morning Reports” of “Record Group 64” of the Records of the National Archives and Records Administration. The images can be found on the National Archives Catalog website, links to each are provided below as “Link”. You can also search the series yourself at this LINK! I was also able to find my grandfather in these records, very valuable.
In these morning reports they did not generally record when a soldier joined or left a regiment (although sometimes these were included in the periodic “Special Reports”, but they did mention when they was a change of status in or out of active duty due to being ill or AWOL, etc. They would list the soldiers serial numbers and sometimes his full name, but more frequently just the surname. At the bottom of each would also be a tally of the number of men present at mess as the number of men “authorized to mess separately”. As this platoon was relatively small, only 60 men in total on one of the records, most days had no changes. The 1016th Quartermaster Platoon was managed by just one officer – 2nd Lt QMC John F. Lineback.
Morning Reports for August 1943: Roll 448 (3 of 4)
Image #145 – 4 Aug 1943: 38234366 Keith Pvt “AWOL to dy 08:00” – Link
Image #145 – 3 Aug 1943: 38234366 Keith, Waddell W. Pvt “Dy to AWOL 06:00 2 Aug 43” – Link
Morning Reports for August 1943: Roll 448 (3 of 4)
Image #884 – 20 Sep 1943: 38234366 Keith, Waddell W Pvt “Dy to hosp, LJAAF, 08:00 LD” – Link
Image #887 – 23 Sep 1943: 38234366 Keith Pvt “Hosp to dy 08:00” – Link
Morning Reports for November 1943: Roll 317 (1 of 4)
Image #867 – 4 Nov 1943: 38234366 Keith Pvt, “Dy to hosp, LJAAF, (08:00) LD – Link
Image #868 – 5 Nov 1943: 38234366 Keith Pvt, “Hosp to conf LJAAF, (08:00)” Link
Morning Reports for January 1944: Roll 281 (1 of 2)
Image #543/544- 26 Jan 1944: Special Order #25, Page 3/4 – Link
Page 3: “13. The fol-named EM, 998th Gd Sq (Guards) WP fr this sta by rail on 28 Jan 1944 to Leavenworth, Kan for the purpose of delivering Pvt (3450Sk) Waddell W Keith Jr 38234366, 1016th AM Plat T AB (now in conf this sta) to US Penitentiary Leavenworth, Kans for further disposition per GCMO #18 Hq AAFWFTC Santa Ana, Calif cs.”
Page 4: “GUARDS: Sgt (677-Sk) John T. Nerton 19184938 Pfc (522-Sk) Steve (NMI) Alesandri 33458628
The. Fin O will pay in advance to ea EM (gds & prisoner) under the provisions of Ex O 9386 dated 15 Oct 1943 a/r $3.00 per day for rat for one-third (1/3) day to cover rail travel time fr this sta to Leavenworth, Kans & a/r $3.00 per day for rat for two-thirds (2/3 day to ea gd for ret rail travel time to La Junta, Colo.
Strict compliance w/provisions of Par 16 AR 600-375 is directed. QM furn T.
TDM 1-5250 P 431-02 A 0425-24 (for prisoner) 1-5250 P 432-02 A 0425-24 (for Gds (Auth: Sec V Par 3 c WD Cir #291 dated 10 Nov 1943 & Par 16 B (2) AR 600-375.)”
“14. Pvt (345-Sk) Waddell W Keith Jr 38234366, 1016th QM Plat T AB, is dishonorably discharged fr the AUS, eff 28 Jan 1944. (Auth: Sec XII Par 65 AR 615-360.)”
These pages may be unrelated to the death of Thomas Haley, but the timing is interesting.
Image #853 – 28 Jan 1944: 38234366 Keith Pvt “Conf to D/D”. This record indicates that Waddell Keith was changed from “confined” to a “disorderly discharge” on 28 Jan, as previously noted in the Jan 26 Special Report. Link
Image #855 – 30 Jan 1944: 36806044 Haley Pvt “Dy to hosp LJAAF (1300) AW 107 NLD”. This appears to note a change from “duty” to “hospital”. Other notation indicate that he was “absent without leave” and “not in the line of duty”. It appears also that he left at 1pm “(1300). However, this gives no indication as to why he was going to the hospital. Link
Morning Reports for February 1944: Roll 211 (1 of 4)
Image #408 – 11 Feb 1944: Special Order #41, Page 6 – Link
“6. 2nd Lt (8120) ELLSWORTH H JOHNSON 0575108 AC is aptd Summary Court for the purpose of inventorying the effects of Pvt (345-S-Sk) Theodore W Haley 35806044, 1016th QM Plat T AB, (deceased).”
“8. Pvt (345-S-Sk) Thomas H Ryan 36572930, 1016th QM Plat T AB (escort) WP fr this sta by rail o/a 12 Feb 1944 to Milwaukee, Wis for the purpose of delivering the remains of Pvt (345-S-Sk) Theodore W Haley 36806044, 1016th QM Plat T AB (deceased) to O’Bee Funderal Home, 1767 No 7th St, that city for burial.
The Fin O will pay in advance to Pvt Ryan the monetary alws prescribed in Ex O 9386 dated 15 Oct 1943 a/r $3.00 per day for rat for one & two-thirds (1 2/3) days to cover rail trael time fr this sta to Milwaukee, Wis & a/r $3.00 per day for rat from one & two-thirds (1 2/3) days to cover ret rail travel from fr Milwaukee, Wis to La Junta, Colo. Upon Completion of TD, EM will ret LJ
TDN QM 7-77 P 443-02, 03 A 0502-24. The QM will furn the nec T. (Auth: Par 20 B 3 (a) 2 AR 55-120 as amended: C-2, AR 55-155.) – AAF”
Image #650 – 12 Feb 1944: Special Order #42. Link
“2. 2 Lt (8120) JOHN G BARTLEY 0573805 AC is aptd Investigating Off to determine LOD of injury in the case of Pvt (345-S-Sk) Theodore W. Haley 36806044 1016th QM Plat T AB (deceased). (Auth: Par 1 c (4) (c) AR 345-415 as amended by C #4.)”
This is a list of notations “By order of Lt Colonel Garrels”. Unfortunately the image is a bit blurry, but this seems to indicate that 2nd Lt John G. Bartley was appointed to investigate the case.
Image #728 – 1 Feb 1944: 36806044 Haley, Theodore W. Pvt “Hosp to conf LJAAF (1000), Dy fr (345) to (590)”. This record seems to indicated that two days later, at 10am, he was moved from the hospital back to airfield but was confined “conf”. It’s unclear if this means confined to quarters for recovery or confined as in imprisoned. There is also the odd reference that he was on duty from “dy fr” 3:45 am to 5:90 am? Or perhaps those aren’t times, but some other code reference? Link
Image #739 – 12 Feb 1944: Link
- 36806044 Haley, Theodore W. Pvt – “Conf to conf hosp NLD AW 107 (1025) LJAAF as of 11 Feb 44
- 36806044 Haley, Theodore W. Pvt – “Conf hosp to deceased NLD AW 107 (1145) LJAAF. Accident (other than aircraft) MOS 345-S-Sk, Dy 345 S-Sk as of 11 Feb 44”
- 36572930 Ryan, Thomas H. Pvt – “Dy to DS at O,Bee Funeral Home 1767 No 7th St. Milwaukee, Wis. (1730)
This seems to indicate that Thomas was transferred from “confined” to “confined hospital” at 10:25 am on Feb 11. As this record is make a distinction between the two, it seems that the other “confined” may refer to imprisoned and not to quarters. He then died shortly after at 11:45 am the same morning, although it was not recorded into the morning report until the next day. It also appears that Pvt. Thomas Ryan was assigned to travel with his body back to Wisconsin, to the O’Bee Funeral Home. O’Bee was a black funeral home established by Emile O’Bee, it is now the Northwest Funeral Chapel in Milwaukee
