Has anyone on DU requested military records for deceased relatives?...

[Missy M]

I requested the military records of a relative killed in action in WWII. I was wondering what the records the government sends might contain. Will they tell me exactly how and where he died. I'm pretty sure he was shot by the Germans when we were advancing into Germany because he was killed in March of 1945, right before the war in Europe ended. Will they tell me more than just the date of his death, I already know that, his rank and serial number?

[EV_Ares]

1. Missy I am not sure if you will get all of that info but if you have any

questions after you receive it, I would go to the nearest VA Office & try to get some assistance with any questions you might have. Not much help for you but possibly a suggestion that might work or there may be some other veterans here that may know and will assist. Good luck to you.

[snappyturtle]

2. My father-in-law tried to get his WWII records because he was

having recurring bouts with malaria he got during the war and they told him his records were gone...I think they told him burned up! Isn't that sweet. Good luck!

[Missy M]

4. That is what I'm afraid of happening.....

I read where they had a fire in a warehouse, I believe it was in Denver. I would think they would have a backup of such important records.

[sanskritwarrior]

6. No it was in St. Louis

back in the 90's.........A lot of active duty people lot some of their records as well in that fire. It killed 3 soldiers that tried to put it out.

[Missy M]

9. How horrible.

How did the fire start, do they know.

[benddem]

8. St. Louis

in the 70's. Lots of WWII records gone, but mostly Navy. No Backup. Do you have his DD214? His discharge record.
That will help. I recently got the status on an Uncles WWII medals. Medical records are iffy. His full military record should have reports of hospitalizations. There probably isn't a record from the hospital. Is he in contact with any of his buddies who could make an affidavit that he had malaria?
If you can get witness statements that is a help. I'm afraid 60 years is a long time back for people's memories. Has he been treated for malaria by a doctor in the states? It's pretty hard to argue that someone caught it in the US. He needs to contact the DAV, VFW or American Legion service officers for
assistance.

[LiberalFighter]

11. Would the county have the records she wants?

Maybe just the DD214 or whatever the soldier would file at the county of residence.

[sanskritwarrior]

14. There was more than one fire in St Louis

the Army used to use a paper that was highly flammable and a single spark could make an inferno in minutes. Remember the Army used to keep paper documents in wooden bureaus in a place with lots of ventilation, so yeah a fire could get out of hand......

[DemBones DemBones]

19. Speaking of records lost in fire, if you're just

starting in genealogy, you'll be unhappy to learn that most of the 1890 Census records were destroyed by fire. Very frustrating!

[Sukie1941]

3. Ancestry.com has access to free military records thru June 6

You might try there also. Many of the actual records have been scanned. If you are seeking extensive information, you will at least be able to see what Ancestry.com has, then it will give an idea what else you might get from the government records. I have many military records, including Civil War pension recs (pages worth) which you won't get on Ancestry.com, perhaps only an index name/number, particularly if a relative applied for benefits from the pension record.

You only need to go their website and at one point it will ask for your email address (and some password you create). Once you back out of the program, however, they might not let you back in.

I just keep putting in new email addresses. But you can look up lots of names while you are there. If you have any problems, you can email me. I don't know how to enter my email address on this site safely. Can anyone answer that?

[Missy M]

7. I did go on Ancestry.com over the Memorial Day weekend....

and was able to get his rank and Service Number. The service number is what I used to request the records from the government. Thank you for your input.

[Sukie1941]

10. About what info you might get....

I think, bottom line, it really depends on the quality of work that the data processor (person) entered. I have seen great data and no data.

Pretty much like census takers, some were good and some could misspell "Smith."

I have seen it all! lol

[Missy M]

13. If I get very little data can I send a request again...

asking for more?

[Drum]

12. If you want to send someone here your address

then send them a personal message (aka "PM") If you're reading someone's post click on their little profile card, and there's a link saying "send them a personal message." This sends them a quasi-e-mail that's just between you two.

And do pardon me if I'm stupidly telling you something you already know...just tryin' to help. :hi:

[Drum]

5. My dad

was infantry in Europe during WWII, and lived fine through it. He died 10 years ago, and I once delved into the process for accessing his records...really just from curiosity. After seeing "Band of Brothers" I really wanted to know where he'd been and all, and he would truly never discuss those days, ever.

In short, I was entitled to access the records but at that time didn't have on-hand the documentation to prove I was kin. I will try again. I'm not sure what depth Dad's service records will go into (probably will mostly be his orders/assignments and his file of readiness etc.)

Sorry I can't tell you more than that from my experience. I hope that your trip through the process is easy and gleans the info that you are seeking. Peace to you and thanks to your father.



:patriot:

[DemBones DemBones]

18. I got my father's cousin's records -- he was KIA in Italy -- without proving

I was related. I just wrote and said I was a cousin, which of course I am, though not a first cousin, and gave my maiden name as well as my married one, since my maiden name was his last name. I knew his full name, of course, and I think I had gotten his service number from Ancestry.com. If you don't know your dad's number, go there before June 6, while they're having free trials. (Of course, they offer them fairly often.)

Like your dad, my dad never talked about World War II, all I know is that he was in the Pacific Theater, perhaps on a minesweeper. But he was also on a minesweeper when I was a kid, having made a career of the Navy. I'd like to have a list of all the ships he served on because I've forgotten all but one name, so I'll get his records, too. It does take months for them to send them, so I should try to write off for them this week.

I never even knew about his cousin who was killed until after Dad was dead. His youngest brother wrote a family history book and mentioned this cousin, saying that he and my dad were the same age and always very close. He was a medic and twice decorated for heroism, once posthumously. It was so sad that I just had to know more than that he was killed "somewhere in Italy." My uncle didn't seem to think his body was recovered and hadn't investigated. You find out a lot of strange things doing genealogy!

I also got a large color photograph of my cousin's tombstone in a military cemetery in the Netherlands along with info about the cemetery. If you have relatives who were KIA and buried overseas, you're entitled to this at no charge. They told me that if I ever plan to visit the cemetery, I should notify them and they would give me a special tour. You can also arrange to have flowers put on the graves through this service, though of course you have to pay for the flowers. As I recall, the organization that provides photos of graves is completely funded by private contributions. Records, of course, you have to get from the govt.

[CountAllVotes]

15. I got my grandfather's WWI records from the U.S. Army

He was discharged as a totally disabled veteran I found out. Another lie I was told about him. It seems he was hit with mustard gas in WWI and he was promptly discharged (the family had other stories about him that were NOT true!).

The poor man suffered for many years. I was sent a file about 1" thick from the VA about him as he went there for health care at the end of his life which was in the mid 1950s.

I got these records prior to 9/11 however. I don't know if they'd be as easy to obtain these days. :(

:kick:

[Missy M]

20. I am so sorry to hear he suffered for years.....

did the VA send you the medical records? That is what I'm trying to find out, if they release those records. I am trying to find out something on his brother, who survived the war so I requested the other records first. I wanted to see what records they would send me before I get the records for his brother. The story is long so I won't go into it but I'm trying to find out if the government will tell me the truth. I doubt they will. Thank you for the info.

[CountAllVotes]

22. yes, the VA sent me his records

and yes, his life was truly tragic no doubt. I don't remember him myself - only some pictures remain of him.

I knew the dates he went into the U.S. Army and when he got out and where he was living, etc.

I believe I had his SS# and date of birth as well as address.

I can't remember much more than that but it did not say on the records anything about him being gassed - the cemetery where he is buried told me this. They have an extensive record on him luckily, not the VA however.

:kick:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. I've only gotten military/pension records from the Civil War/Revolution

so I don't know. The Revolutionary Pension records asked for dates of service and actions taken; Civil War went into detail about what happened to the person, including one who was captured and sent to Andersonville Prison.

[kestrel91316]

17. I wrote to the National Archives for my dad's military records a few years

ago (23 yrs USAF) and they sent me several pounds of stuff! I have every single job performance evaluation he ever got, and lots of other stuff, medal citations, training records, etc.

Sadly, I think most of the WWII records were lost in a fire, IIRC. Good luck.

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

[Missy M]

21. I would like to thank everyone for the responses to my question..

hopefully his records weren't destroyed in the fire in St. Louis.