What follows, is a comparison of our military service records as recorded on our respective discharge papers that are often referred to as 214s ...   In scanning the information from our discharge papers for this comparison, my DD 214 came out okay, ie, 80 K while my father's was over 250 K.   So, I decided to break my father's form into three sections from personal data, to military history data and muster out pay section, ie, $100 ...

Personal Data -	Father	Son
Place of Birth	Both of us - Brockton, Mass.
Date of Birth	24 Mar 21	26 Jun 46
Date Entered Service	1 Jun 42	16 Nov 66
Age at Time of Entry	21	20
Discharged	27 Oct 45	20 Apr 77
Age	24	31
Rank	E-4 Cpl	E-6 Sp/6
Military Occupation Specialty	Military Police	Company Clerk Programmer/Analyst
Father's Unit:   Hqs & Base Service Squadron, 488th Air Service Group European Theatre of Operation, World War II   Dec 1943 - Oct 45 Son's Unit:   697th Engineer Co (Pipeline), 44th Engineer Group (Construction) Korat/Sattahip, Thailand in S.E.A. during Vietnam War   Jan 1968 - Jan 70
Military History -	Father	Son
Father's Battles and Campaigns in World War II - Normandy, Air Offensive Europe, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe Decorations and Citations - European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal Son's Decorations, Medals, Badges and Campaign Ribbons awarded or authorized - National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal (3rd Award), Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 Device, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Palm; Sharpshooter (Rifle/Hand Grenade)
Military Education	Military Police	Basic Army Admin Clerk Typist NCO Academy
Highest School	H.S. - 1 yr	Col - 4 yrs
Record of Service	3 yrs 5 mos	10 yrs 1 mo *
Foreign Service	Europe - 1 yr 10 mos	SEA 2 yrs **
* Served in SEA, discharged and 7 mos 6 days later reenlisted for another 7 yrs
Muster Out Pay	$100	College Educ.
Honorable Discharge	Father	Son
Location	Ft Devens, Mass.	Oakland Army Base
My father's military service had more hardship and challenge, imho, than my own.   Serving in the European Theatre, campaigns such as Normandy and "shipping out" 5 Dec 43; arriving 16 Dec 43 with return 4 Oct 45; arrival in the U.S. 14 Oct 45 and immediately processed for discharge in two weeks.     ** My military service was in Thailand, removed from the turmoil of the Vietnam War in South Vietnam and flew in on Pan Am Flight #1, effectively "first class."     U.S. Army Air Forces Guard School, Palm Beach, Florida 1943 My dad - in those formations (above) Back Row, 3rd from Right, below the coconut tree ... U.S.A. Office of Price Administration Click on Ration Books for larger version ...         And, the stamps ...