World War II Enlistment -- strange civil occupation #usa


Josephine Rosenblum
 

William MENDEL's WW II Enlistment Record has most information correct, including 4 years of college, but his "Civil Occupation" is  listed as "Actor (Motion picture actor.) or Director, Motion Picture (Motion [picture director.) or Entertainer".
   I knew Bill, who later changed his surname to MENDELL, and asked him about this.  He had absolutely no idea why the Army wrote this.  He was born in Columbus and lived there.  He had never been in any facet of show business.  He was positive he hadn't written it, either seriously or as a joke.  He was a businessman.
   I have seen similar errors in other Enlistment Records, but nothing as far from the mark as this.
   Any ideas why this occurred?  Thanks in advance for your input.

Josephine Rosenblum,  Cincinnati, OH   <JoRose@...>


paulkozo@...
 

Theodore Hull of the US National Archives explained the difficult process how punched cards became the data base at https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/spring/aad-ww2.html.

There could also have been an error on input as it seems numeric codes were used.  If the table of occupation codes were available (anyone?) then it might be possible to deduce plausible errors.

--
Paul Hattori
London UK

SHADUR, SADUR, SHADER, SADER, CHADOUR, SADOUR, SHADOUR,  SZADUR from Salakas, Lithuania
MINDEL, MINDELL from Utena and Vyzuonos, Lithuania
FELLER from Pabrade, Lithuania


David Oseas
 

The table of occupation codes is available here:  https://aad.archives.gov/aad/popup-codelist.jsp?cl_id=3323&dt=893&c_id=24986

Regards,
David Oseas

Researching:
HYMAN/HEYMAN/HEIMOWITS/CHAJMOVITS: Zemplen-Dobra, Hungary > New York
KLEIN: Satoraljaujhely (Ujhely), Hungary > New York > Los Angeles
KRONOWITH:
Hungary > New York
OSEAS/OSIAS/OSIASI/OZIAS: Iasi, Romania > Chicago > Milwaukee > Los Angeles
SCHECHTER/SHEKTER: Kishinev, Bessarabia > New York  
SHERMAN: Iasi, Romania > New York > Los Angeles
STRUL:  Iasi, Romania > Haifa, Israel
WICHMAN: Syczkowo (Bobruisk), Belarus > Milwaukee > Los Angeles


paulkozo@...
 

David, that's great.   

1940 census says he was a grocery clerk.

Actors and actresses 002   Clerks in trade 112     


--
Paul Hattori
London UK

SHADUR, SADUR, SHADER, SADER, CHADOUR, SADOUR, SHADOUR,  SZADUR from Salakas, Lithuania
MINDEL, MINDELL from Utena and Vyzuonos, Lithuania
FELLER from Pabrade, Lithuania