Your dad seems to have started taking off the railings in favor of improving them. There's a 1/400 US Navy photoetch set thats been around for a while, but maybe not that long. If you care to, you might pick one up. It is made by Gold Medal Models and is geared toward the Revell flat bottoms, in particular the seaplane tender which really benefits from it, as well as a lot of generic two and three bar rails. It would really help this kit.
There's also a forecastle deck part missing that is important as its the entire deck and railings, plus the forward bulwarks.
A Revell Germany Hawaiian Pilot should be easy to find, reasonably priced.
USS Burleigh APA-95 was a Bayfield Class Attack Transport.
www.steelnavy.com/gallery_transports.htm
EDIT: son of a gun! Revell Germany reboxed it too!