Posted on Aug 19, 2015
Can anyone give me some information about my great-grandfather based on this old photo?
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So this is my Great Great Grandfather Harvey Niffen... All i know is that he was born Dec 17 1896 DOD August 1967. If any one can clue me in on anything regarding his uniform like Branch Of Service, Rank, Occupation (mos) etc. it would be grateful. Thank you!
Posted in these groups: 
Military History
Military History
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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This is on Ancestry.com - You can ger a free 30 day trial membership and look at his records if this is him.
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918▼
Draft, Enlistment and Service
Name: Harvey Rite Niffen
Birth: date - Illinois
Residence: Pike, Missouri
Other:
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=39&gsln=Nafon&gspl=16&gss=angs-c
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918▼
Draft, Enlistment and Service
Name: Harvey Rite Niffen
Birth: date - Illinois
Residence: Pike, Missouri
Other:
http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=39&gsln=Nafon&gspl=16&gss=angs-c
To get better results, add more information such as First Name, Birth Info or Death Info—even a guess will help. Edit your search or learn more.
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LTC Christopher Sands
If you cannot get a Federal record through NARA, because of the 1971 fire, try getting a state record. I did that for my Great Uncle and Grandfather. NJ has a small form, 1 page front and back. It had my Grandfather rated at 10% disability, due to his being gassed. My Great Uncle record had the day he was WIA. Both were WWI records. It also had height, home of record, occupation, color of the eyes, ect.
Some Vets made copies of their DD 214 at the county they lived in. Give it a shot.
Good luck!
Some Vets made copies of their DD 214 at the county they lived in. Give it a shot.
Good luck!
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Uniform looks like it could be Army or Marines in the '20s or even '30s....not able to tell from such a small photo what his MOS or rank would be...
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Things I can gather from this:
1) WWI or just prior - Perhaps even the 1916 Punitive Expedition in Mexico. He would have been exactly 20 at that time or 22 in 1918 when WWI ended.
2) Army - This was the uniform in the 1910's/early 20's
3) Enlisted - Officers wore a different type of cap.
4) Provost Guard - explains why an enlisted guy has a pistol.
5) Rank is probably Private - this is totally a guess but he has a crisp clean uniform (see very white spats) and people, to this day, take a photo of them with their new uniforms on for their families. Very common. If this is the case, he'd just entered service so he'd be a private which also explains the lack of rank, awards, or any insignia on the collar. If all of the above are true, this was likely taken in the US and so if he had rank or awards, he'd have them on such a clean uniform.
Good luck!
1) WWI or just prior - Perhaps even the 1916 Punitive Expedition in Mexico. He would have been exactly 20 at that time or 22 in 1918 when WWI ended.
2) Army - This was the uniform in the 1910's/early 20's
3) Enlisted - Officers wore a different type of cap.
4) Provost Guard - explains why an enlisted guy has a pistol.
5) Rank is probably Private - this is totally a guess but he has a crisp clean uniform (see very white spats) and people, to this day, take a photo of them with their new uniforms on for their families. Very common. If this is the case, he'd just entered service so he'd be a private which also explains the lack of rank, awards, or any insignia on the collar. If all of the above are true, this was likely taken in the US and so if he had rank or awards, he'd have them on such a clean uniform.
Good luck!
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Just found out he in fact served in WW1 as a "Provost Guard" although I have no idea wht that is im going to continue my research.
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COL Ted Mc
SFC (Join to see) - Spec;
The designation "Provost" (pronounced "PRO - voh") originated with an older term for military police, "Provosts". The term, in a "military usage" traces back to roughly 1535. (There are other usages which trace back even further.
The "Provost Guard" would be a body of troops under the command of the "Provost Marshal"
The "Provost Marshal" is generally the senior military police officer at the theater, corps, division, and brigade level and for each garrison. Originally this designation was given to the officer who was supposed to ensure that the army of the king (or the specific portion of it that he was charged with overseeing) did no harm to the citizenry. The Provost Marshal had (originally) quite wide ranging powers - up to and including ordering summary executions.
The Military Police Corps is the designation for the equivalent body in the United States Army. The Marine Corps version is referred to as the Provost Marshal's Office. The Master-at-Arms branch fill the same role in the United States Navy. For the United States Air Force it would be the Air Force Security Forces (formerly "the
Security Police" [and before that "The Air Police"]) - at least I think that I've got the sequence correct.
In essence it would appear that your Grandfather was likely to be what some ignorant people would have called "a Jarhead Meathead" (but that's OK, we all have black sheep in our families).
The designation "Provost" (pronounced "PRO - voh") originated with an older term for military police, "Provosts". The term, in a "military usage" traces back to roughly 1535. (There are other usages which trace back even further.
The "Provost Guard" would be a body of troops under the command of the "Provost Marshal"
The "Provost Marshal" is generally the senior military police officer at the theater, corps, division, and brigade level and for each garrison. Originally this designation was given to the officer who was supposed to ensure that the army of the king (or the specific portion of it that he was charged with overseeing) did no harm to the citizenry. The Provost Marshal had (originally) quite wide ranging powers - up to and including ordering summary executions.
The Military Police Corps is the designation for the equivalent body in the United States Army. The Marine Corps version is referred to as the Provost Marshal's Office. The Master-at-Arms branch fill the same role in the United States Navy. For the United States Air Force it would be the Air Force Security Forces (formerly "the
Security Police" [and before that "The Air Police"]) - at least I think that I've got the sequence correct.
In essence it would appear that your Grandfather was likely to be what some ignorant people would have called "a Jarhead Meathead" (but that's OK, we all have black sheep in our families).
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Looks like world war 1. 1910? Possibly Army mounted cav. Im not an expert but was looking this up for a client and think i saw one very similar to this. Anyway, i would start there.
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SFC (Join to see)
SFC Vandeyacht,
I forgot to add that he served during WW1 and I will most deffinatly start researching that information thank you.
I forgot to add that he served during WW1 and I will most deffinatly start researching that information thank you.
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SFC (Join to see) Wow! Looking at that photo, are you sure you don't star in that ABC show, FOREVER!
You can start with history and uniform sites.
Your great, great grandfathers service records should be publicly available as well.
http://www.history.army.mil/html/museums/uniforms/survey_uwa.pdf
http://www.archives.gov/veterans
You can start with history and uniform sites.
Your great, great grandfathers service records should be publicly available as well.
http://www.history.army.mil/html/museums/uniforms/survey_uwa.pdf
http://www.archives.gov/veterans
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SFC Jon Vandeyacht
I forgot to mention the archives. I search for vets there often as well as the national purple heart registry. Granted its for totally different reasons.
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