MRomanych
19th July 2008, 21:43
Getting Started: Use a search engine such as Google (http://www.google.com) to querie the World Wide Web. You may be pleasantly surprised at what is available. Try searching with the service member’s name in various forms: first and last name, with and without middle name, or last name and first name, etc. Finally, try putting the various forms of the name in quotation " " marks.
Here are several useful sites for researching information about US service members:
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC): The ABMC maintains several databases of US service members killed in action and buried overseas. Of interest to this forum are the WWI (33,717 records) and WWII (176,399 records) databases of casualties buried in ABMC cemeteries or listed on the Walls of the Missing.
WWI: http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwi.php
WWII: http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwii.php
Department of Veterans Affairs: National Cemetery Administration: If the service member is buried in a National cemetery, then the VA should have the name in its database. For the nationwide gravesite locator: http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1
US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): NARA has several useful databases:
WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938–46
Records of WWII Prisoners of War, 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946
WWII Prisoners of the Japanese Data Files, 1941-45
Records About Japanese Americans Relocated During WWII, 1942-46
Records of Duty Locations for Naval Intelligence Personnel, 1942-45
The databases can be accessed at: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-list.jsp?cat=WR26
This one is useful for finding enlistment records of WWII soldiers: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/fielded-search.jsp?dt=893&tf=F&cat=WR26&bc=sl
Dad's War: This web page has a staggering amount of advice and information. It is perhaps the best overall website for finding information on a US Service Member. http://www.wwjohnston.net/dadswar
Personnel Records: Once you have the basic information, then try the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) for the service member’s personnel records. Download the Standard Form 180, and mail or fax it to NPRC.
http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records/standard_form_180.html
Note: be patient, waits of about six months are the norm.
Here are several useful sites for researching information about US service members:
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC): The ABMC maintains several databases of US service members killed in action and buried overseas. Of interest to this forum are the WWI (33,717 records) and WWII (176,399 records) databases of casualties buried in ABMC cemeteries or listed on the Walls of the Missing.
WWI: http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwi.php
WWII: http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwii.php
Department of Veterans Affairs: National Cemetery Administration: If the service member is buried in a National cemetery, then the VA should have the name in its database. For the nationwide gravesite locator: http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1
US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): NARA has several useful databases:
WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938–46
Records of WWII Prisoners of War, 12/7/1941 - 11/19/1946
WWII Prisoners of the Japanese Data Files, 1941-45
Records About Japanese Americans Relocated During WWII, 1942-46
Records of Duty Locations for Naval Intelligence Personnel, 1942-45
The databases can be accessed at: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-list.jsp?cat=WR26
This one is useful for finding enlistment records of WWII soldiers: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/fielded-search.jsp?dt=893&tf=F&cat=WR26&bc=sl
Dad's War: This web page has a staggering amount of advice and information. It is perhaps the best overall website for finding information on a US Service Member. http://www.wwjohnston.net/dadswar
Personnel Records: Once you have the basic information, then try the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) for the service member’s personnel records. Download the Standard Form 180, and mail or fax it to NPRC.
http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records/standard_form_180.html
Note: be patient, waits of about six months are the norm.