Military Service Record Lookup

[tc35dforme]

OK folks.....since we have a very broad knowledge base here, I thought I'd cast this out and see what I get....

I had an uncle ( deceased when I was young ) who served in the Marine Corps in WWII. He served throughout the Pacific, and I have been led to believe that he went through the thick of it ....Guadalcanal....etc.

He had no children and didn't really associate much with the family. I have no access to his personal records of anything else. All of his possessions were sold or junked after his death. I don't even know what division he was in. I do remember a single Marine at his funeral.

Does anyone know where one would start to see if a summary of his military service was available ?? Is this even possible ?? I've bumped around the web, but haven't found anything.

 

[DAP]

Hope someone can counter my bad news. I wanted to find information on my father, who landed on Utah Beach 4:30am June 7th (day after) and finally found his way into a Belgian hospital on Jan 20th, 1945. He made that famous trek from the beaches to Paris to the Ardennes and Schnee Eifiel. Anyway, I tried to find out information about his service record.

Here's the bad news. A not so oft spoken lil secret. In the summer of 1974 I was told, there was a large fire at the National Military Archive warehouse in VA/DC. The fire destroyed ALL military personel records for Army, Marine, Airforce (then the Army Airforce) from the turn of the century to the 1960's. Navy records and some new Air Force records escaped due to being in a separate location.

I could get nowhere after that. A NATIONAL TRAGEDY noone generally knows of or speaks of.

Hopefully, the fed was able to collect data some other way - somehow - perhaps for internal use only. But the PUBLIC record has a gaping hole in it now and forever.

PLEASE verify this again though by contacting the National Military Archives in Washington.

You're gonna need his SSN.

My facts may be generally correct but a lil blurry around the edges.

 

[SnowRidge]

The Military Records Center fire was in St. Louis, by my recollection. Yes, it was a national tragedy--and a personal tragedy for many ex GIs.

SnowRidge

 

[LarryRB]

Here are some starters for you.www.military.com
www.militaryusa.com[/url],
www.archives.gov/research,
www.americanwarlibrary.com

St Louis fire took Army/ records.. Marine records are kept in Phila PA at the US Navy something or other it's called..last I was told.. You can also try popasmoke.com which is Marine helicopter group. Some there or many there should be able to guide you in a direction.. Go to their visitors page and write a long questionaire..

 

[dummy]

Through this link to the Natioanl Archivesservice records

 

[dmccarty]

Read the rules on WHO can request the information on the service member. We are waiting on my grandfathers service record. Should get it any day now. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I remember reading that only a spouse or child could make the request. Surely I read wrong. But I remember talking to family members about this since its unfair if the grandkids can't request the records or other family members.

My grandfather was in the USMC and fought in WWII and Korea. Family lore says he was a body guard for Nimitz and a bunch of other stuff that is really out there. He was at Chosin under Puller and was given a limp via a Chinese bullet. He had a chest full of medals including a Navy Cross. I really want to know what the old man did and the service records is pretty much all we can go on at this point. I'm hoping The Fire did not get his records.....

Later,
Dan McCarty

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I hope ya'll have better luck than I have getting copies of my own records. I've got some but most of the critical ones have come up either missing or not available for some reason.

I haven't tried for a couple of years but awhile back I went through quite a bit of correspondance with St Louis, even a couple of phone calls. But all I got was about five sheets when there should have been a book when you figure two tours of Nam, training, stateside duty, and a trip to Japan for hospital time for repair. There were orders cut for every step along the way and none of them seem to be available.

I would like them so I could find some of the guys I served with.

We had some times.

 

[LarryRB]

Harv, there is a special form that you can download, print, and mail to St.Louis for a complete 201 file. It will take 2-3 months, I did it and got jsut about everything there was.. 2 tours myself, Kontum, with a legitimately (at the time) questionable group.. I still got the vast majority of the 201 including the AVSFAB entrance exam grades..

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Thanks.

Do you have a link?

Sorry, just lazy.

But appreciative! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LarryRB]

yeah, I've been scouting around looking for it.. when I find it, I'll PM it to you..