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How to Research for Military Ancestors
There is a great reference in the Feb 1999 Readers Digest article 'finding my father'. The
addresses and phone numbers are early 1999 vintage, so hopefully are still good.
Check the death date to determine if he may have been killed in action. The
first thing that comes to mind is to see if his files survived the 1970's
fire at the WWI & WWII soldiers' records storage center. Request a copy of
form #180 from the National Archives
or write for one (Washington DC address) and file the form with the National
Archives & Records Administration, Military Personnel Records Center, 9700
Page Avenue, St Louis MO 63132-5100
Military personel during WWII were usually covered with a serviceman's
insurance policy. Telephone 1-800-669-8477 which is the Dept of Veterans
Affairs Insurance Center. Ask for a regional office address and write,
asking for copies of the relative's death claim file.
If the soldier was in the Army, write and request a copy of the
burial/death claim file from: Commander, Attention: TAPC-PAO (FOIA), Public
Affairs, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria VA 22332-0404
If the soldier was in the US Navy, Air Force or Marines (Semper Fi!!) phone
1-703-325-5300 which is the US Army Total Personnel Casualty Command. Tell
them you are looking for a WWII soldier's death file. Ask them for a phone
number for the US Navy/Marines/Air Force Casualty Command. Under the
Freedom of Information Act the Navy will provide you with an address to
request a copy of your uncle/relative's death burial file, including the
burial certificate.
If the body was recovered at sea, he may be buried in an Overseas Military
Cemetery...such as Europe, Asia, Africa, etc. Write to the following
address and ask them to check their records:
Director of Operations & Finance
American Battle Monuments Commission
Courthouse Plaza II, Suite 500
2300 Claredon Blvd
Arlington VA 22201
Does the service member have a veterans marker/footstone on his grave or on his
tombstone? Then try the office in charge of those: United States Office,
American Battle Monument Commission, Casimir Pulaski Building, 20
Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20314-0300 (202) 272-0537 and 272-0533
Another idea, and maybe the easiest of all--check the hometown newspapers
for an obit if the soldier died during the war years. Patriotism was high
then and the obit may have made the front page.
Don't forget to check the local county VA office, who keeps records of requests for burials on file.
Many thanks to Joan M Benner for transcribing these pages.
Her professional page can be seen at:
Golden Rule Genealogy.
This page contains links to pages with resources about military research in WoodCoWI. If you have
information which you would like to contribute, or to request a link be added, please email
[MAK].
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Last Revised: --
Monday, 22-Apr-2002 21:10:37 MDT
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