I thought this was interesting and maybe helpful to someone....
Thanks,
Cary
Bonnie November 28, 2010 at 7:15 pm
For genealogy purposes, i would like to know what to do to enable me to access my deceased fathers war record. Enlisted 1944-to 1945. I do not have his social security # and was told I would need that to access records.
John December 1, 2010 at 10:20 am
Hi Bonnie,
There are two options you can pursue to locate your father’s World War II service record. Online, you can go to NARA’s web site at http://www.archives.gov and check the Access to Archival Databases (AAD). There you will find an electronic data file for “World War II Army Enlistment records, 1938-1946.” If you find him there, you can then use the information to write to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri to locate further information (you will need to fill out Standard Form (SF) 180 to request records from St. Louis; the form is also available to download on the NARA web site). If you don’t find your father in AAD, you will still need to contact St. Louis, because they will have personnel files for the other branches of service as well. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that a fire at St. Louis in 1973 destroyed 80% of the Army personnel files for veterans discharged between 1912 and 1960, so that includes the World War II servicemen. If that happens to affect your father’s service, you should still contact St. Louis because they may be able to recreate some service information from other existing records. Good luck!
- John
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