Have you ever encountered an incorrect enlistment date on a set of military records? Until today, I assumed that the information I would find on Fold3’s U.S. Veterans’ Gravesite database to have an accurate enlistment date.
While researching descendants of John Lewis Ricketts, I came across the Veteran’s Gravesite information for Wayne M. Bond (1919-1966), son of Vernon and Amil (Maish) Bond.
Wayne Bond’s obituary indicated that Wayne retired from the Air Force,
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
23 May 1966
Page 8
Wayne M. Bond
“Wayne M. Bond,” Journal and Courier (Lafayette, Indiana), 23 May 1966, Page 8; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 9 December 2021).
Frankfort – Wayne M. Bond, 46, Arvada, Colo., former resident of Kirklin and Frankfort, died Friday evening at his home following an illness of three weeks.
The retired Air Force veteran was employed by the U.S. Forestry Service in Colorado at the time of his death.
A 1937 graduate of Frankfort High School, Mr. Bond attended Purdue University and was a member of the Masonic Lodge.
He retired from the Air Force in 1964.
Survivors include his widow, Marry; a son, Peter and a daughter, Peggy, both at home; his mother, Mrs. Amil Bond, Tucson, Ariz., and two sisters, Mrs. Harold Kochert, Rt. 7 and Mrs. Robert Inman, Tucson.
Rites will be Tuesday in Denver.
Thus, I started searching for information about his military career. That search turned up a brief article explaining why his parents moved to Arizona. That same 1945 article indicated that Wayne M. Bond had spent 29 months overseas.
To Southwest
“To Southwest,” Journal and Courier (Lafayette, Indiana), 10 August 1945, page 11; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 9 December 2021).
Mr. And Mrs. Vern Bond and daughter, Patricia Ann, left Thursday for Tucson, Ariz., to spend the winter for the benefit of Mrs. Bond’s health. Their son, M. Sgt. Wayne M. Bond will join them in Arizona after spending 29 months overseas.
According to the gravesite data, Wayne Bond enlisted in September 1945. However the above August 1945 article refers to him as Master Sergeant and indicates he was overseas for 29 months. Thinking that Wayne Bond must have enlisted prior to 1945, I started search the papers for an earlier article that mentioned his military service. I found one from 1943 that confirms that he was serving in the military at that time.
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
10 Mar 1943
Page 11Master Sgt. Wayne M. Bond, who has been spending a short furlough here with his parents. Mr. And Mrs. V. E. Bond, 25 South Hoke avenue, was to leave today for an assignment in Salina, Kans. Until recently he was stationed in Texas. Mr. And Mrs. Bond held “open house” Tuesday afternoon and evening for their son.
A search of papers from Tucson, Arizona generated a wealth of information about Wayne M. Bond’s military service. The most informative article is likely the one about a family reunion held in October 1960.
Re-Union in Pioneer Family .. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon E. Bond, 2009 E. 6th St., had a big open house Sunday afternoon to honor their three children, together for the first time since 1943. The member usually absent has been M. Sgt. Wayne M. Bond, who has been in the Air Force since 1939. St. Bond put in his 21 years in just about every part of the world; he has served in England, France Germany, Russia, Korea, Japan, Guam, Persia and North Africa. A Purdue graduate, Sgt. Bond was the NCO in command of photo operations of a motion picture squadron. Now retired, the sergeant is taking his wife to Honolulu, where they will live and he will work at his trade, photography. The rest of the family are a sister from Frankfort, Ind., Mrs. Harold Kochert, and Arizona alumna sister Patricia Bond Inman who lives here with her husband Robert Inman. The last time the family tried to get together Mrs. Kochert had an automobile accident and didn’t make it. Mrs. Bond senior is Tucson born and is from a pioneer family. Her uncle, Mordecai Maish, owned Canoa Ranch, and was mayor of Tucson in the 90s.
“Reunion in Pioneer Family” Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ) 4 Oct 1960, page 19.
Since this article indicates that Wayne Bond is ‘now retired’ from the military in October, 1960, the article supports the retirement date given by the Veterans’ Gravesites page versus the 1964 date given in the obituary. This reunion article also supports an enlistment date prior to 1945.
An earlier article in 1954 about his visit home from serving during the Korean war provides an enlistment date in 1940.
She Knew He Was Coming — She Baked a Cake
“She Knew He Was Coming – She Baked a Cake” Tucson Daily Citizen (Tucson, AZ) 28 May 1954, page 26
Master Sgt. Wayne M. Bond, home after two years in Korea, was greeted yesterday by his mother, Mrs. V. E. Bond, of 2009 E. Sixth st., with a fine cake. In the air force (except for a month between enlistments) since Jan. 13, 1940, when he left Purdue university, Sgt. Bond is a reconnaissance photographer. Although Indiana was his home, Sgt. Bond is a great-nephew of Arizona pioneer Frederick Maish, early-day mayor of Tucson. He was in Europe during World War II, participating in shuttle flights between England and Russia.
Based on these articles, I’m going to use 13 Jan 1940 as the enlistment date and the August 1960 date as his discharge date for M. Sergeant Wayne M. Bond