1. Do not expect instant results, most procedures will take time; be patient.
2. If you do not follow the provided instructions, you will not succeed.
3. Nothing is guaranteed; I will provide as many alternatives as possible.
4. The success rate is above 65%; again, be patient. The best of luck to you...
Locating Veterans
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Instant Detective
This is an "Online Amateur Detective Program" I subscribe as an aid to find our Vetrean brothers; I am making it avaliable to all of you. Please do not abuse the priviliage or use it for any purpose other than finding our missing brothers.
Using the Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs is normally very co-operative in providing assistance in locating veterans. However, they have addresses only for those who have at some time applied for VA benefits. If an address is listed, it is the address given when the veteran last obtained or applied for benefits. If a vet was discharged prior to 1974, he will be listed only if he has applied for benefits.
The VA will forward a letter to the vet you are trying to locate but it is recommended that you first find out if they have information on the veteran. Contact the nearest regional office by calling 1 (800) 827-1000. Your call will be answered by an automated service; after touching #1 on your phone you can by-pass the menu by pushing "0," which will connect you to a VA counselor. Give the counselor (if you have the information) the vet's full name and service number, or name and social security number, or full name and date of birth, the state they entered the service from. Confirm they have the right person by giving the counselor details of the person's military service; time period served, rank or other available information.
1.Forwarding a letter: To have a letter forwarded to the veteran you are searching for, place your correspondence in an unsealed, stamped envelope with a return address. Put the veteran's name on the front of the envelope. Next, prepare a short fact sheet and state that you are requesting the VA forward this letter to the Veteran indicated on the sheet. Place the letter and fact sheet in a larger envelope and mail to the Regional Office you spoke with over the telephone. If they cannot identify the veteran, they will return your letter. If the Department of Veterans Affairs cannot find the individual listed in their files, then contact the Veterans Affairs Insurance Office and request information on the vet you are seeking and the location of his file:
Department of Veterans Affairs
PO Box 8079
Philadelphia, PA 19101
1(800) 669-8477
The VA is required to tell you the location of the veteran's file, whether it is in a Regional Office or in a record holding area.
The Veteran's Home Town
Do you know the name of the vet's home town you are searching for? Some "returned home" after the war and stayed, others left enough of a family trail you may be able to trace your veteran through relatives. Start in the vet's home town or the second best option would be the state he was from. It broadens the search but again, it can lead you to him or someone who will know of your veteran or his family. A good link to start your search... http://www.zabasearch.com
Locating Birth Parents, Siblings, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, or Grandparents
Many times parents, brothers, and unmarried sisters remain in the veterans original home town and are listed in the local telephone directory. By doing a name search through some of the free Internet telephone directories you may be able to locate mom and dad, a brother, or sister. Try the following free Internet search aid below; it is best used for the veteran you are looking for or a specific person such as his parents or a brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or grandparents.
When you begin to expand your search remember not to limit your efforts to the veteran only. Almost always some relative remains in the veterans home town, it just takes persistence on your part to track down that one connection and open the door. It may be wiser to expand your search using one or more of the options listed below. A master link option is #8; the website leads to more choices. Happy hunting and remember, patience is your best virtue...
1. http://www.411.com/ *** During your search most of the options will ask a $Fee$ for further info...
In addition, try this master link CyndisList.com/finding.htm to view a list of phone directories, email directories, and address directories. It is a long list but take the time to scroll through, it offers a variety of additional options.
Free Public Records Directory
Welcome to the largest directory of links to free public record databases on the Internet. Find business information, corporate filings, property records, unclaimed property, professional licenses, offenders, inmates, criminal and civil court filings, military records and much more. Click on the links below to browse the public record links by geographic location or use our "Public Record Locator" above to search for a type of public record in a specific area.
Now over 29,551 Free Searchable Public Record Databases http://www.searchsystems.net/
Searching Through Military Related Sites
2. Military.com
3. GI Search
6. Vets.com
7. Veteran.com
User Name: bella
Password: bella
Go to the web site via the provided link; this site has reconnected thousand's of Veterans since 1997. When arriving at the site use the provided "user name and password" to gain entry for personal searches. Report any problems to the 12th Marines Web Master at charliebattery67@wavecable.com
Leatherneck Magazine
The Marine Corps has no specific way to assist individuals looking for former Marines. However, Leatherneck Magazine runs a monthly feature called "Mail Call," which is one way to try and contact former Marines whom you served with. It is a free service and is printed on a "space available" basis. Send items for this service to:
Mail Call Editor
PO Box 1775
Quantico, Virginia 22134
Military.com Buddy Finder
Burial Locations
KIA and Active Duty burial locations may be requested from the USMC Casualty Section at this address:
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Code MHP-10
HQMC, 2 Navy Annex
Washington, D.C. 20380
Record Archives, Unit Diaries, Rosters, Etc.
Email Ann Kelsey, "VVHP" Resource Librarian, for addresses to obtain records. Be sure to give as much information as you can about yourself, your unit, and your tour of duty.
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"The Marine Historical Center and Quantico have an excellent and quite complete archive of after-action reports, unit diaries, etc. The Army material is scattered. Some of it is in the National Archives, some is at the Center for Military History. A large number of records never made it back from Vietnam at all.
"I know the archivists who work with RG472 (Vietnam War) at NARA, and I have some contacts at CMH. What I will need to know is exact information as to branch of service, battalion, company, platoon, etc., the years the person is interested in, and what kind of information he/she is looking for.
"It is not possible to obtain unit rosters unless the exact name of the unit down to company level is known. All rosters are filed by unit and there is no cross-indexing by individuals, location or date. I hope this will help in identifying the unit:
"Vietnam Order of Battle"
By Shelby Stanton
Military Book Club ed.
Kraus Reprint and Periodicals, 1986
"Once you have identified a unit or units, send a written request for the unit roster, giving the month and year that you want and stating that this request is a **Freedom of Information Act Request.** It is advisable to request rosters for several months before and after the actual date needed.
"Requests for military records must be made on a government form, SF 180. This form is available on the Internet at:
"Scroll to 'Request Pertaining to Military Records' near the bottom of the Page. You may also call 314-538-4261 and leave a message to have a form sent to you.
"You cannot request an entire file; each document must be named, and only those named specifically will be provided. Names of documents include unit orders, awards and commendations, efficiency reports and ratings, promotion orders, records of court martial or other disciplinary actions, assignment and reassignment orders, photographs, qualification records, and report of separation (DD-214).
"When requesting medical records, a statement should be included that they are needed by a current physician. If information is being requested regarding a specific injury or illness, that should be specified. If records regarding hospitalizations are needed, provide the dates that the hospitalization occurred and the name of the hospital."
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Center Of Military History - U.S. Army Site
Defense Manpower Center: 703-696-5796
Military records searched: Linda L. Mouchyn
Marine Corps Historical Center: 202-433-3534
National Archives of the United States, Military Records: 301-713-7250
Naval Historical Center: 202-433-3170
Peruse the "Veterans Organizations and Support Groups" main section of the "VVHP," especially the "Vet Links" Gallery.
Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University Library: 806-742-3742
Vietnam War Collection, Connelly Library, La Salle University: 215-951-1285
Looking for: Vietnam; From the "Korean War Project" Web Site
William Joiner Center: 617-287-5850
Marine Corps Historical Center
Archives Section, Building 58
Washington Navy Yard
Washington, D.C. 20374
Phone number: 202-433-3483
Available here are operations reports, command diaries, command chronologies, and after action reports. The archivists at the Center are most helpful and will photocopy material and mail it to you. They may also refer you to the:
Unit Diary Section Commandant
Marine Corps Records Service Section
Code MMSB-10, Hdq, U.S. Marine Corps
Quantico, VA 22134-5030
where company rosters and unit diaries after 1967 are located. These must be requested in writing.
Marine Roster & Narrative Requests
Marine Rosters:
Head Quarters Marine Corps
Commandant USMC
HDQMC MMRB-14
Quantico, VA 22134-0001
Rosters were created each month, towards the end of the month. If a person went home during the month and was not present on the particular day that the roster was made up, they WILL NOT APPEAR on that month's roster. So you would have to request the previous month for that name to appear. You can request a couple of months at a time (2-3). You can send as many requests as you like. If you want, you could send a request in a friend's name & address for 3 months and a request in your name for 3 different months, etc.
Before you begin a search, you'll want to check the casualty list.
Once you have the name and serial # from the roster, you can write to the VA:
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Regional Office
1240 E. 9th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44199
ATTENTION: Robert Zeigenhine
Need 2 envelopes. One with above address. Inside this envelope you will need another stamped envelope addressed to the person you wish to locate -- don't forget your return address -- DO NOT SEAL THIS ENVELOPE. The VA will have to read so they wouldn't be forwarding anything inappropriate.
Attach a note asking to forward to the person and a check for $2.00. Include in the note any information you have such as serial # (which is on the rosters), home town, etc. The rosters sometimes are difficult to read; so, if you're not sure, put what you think it is and a question mark.
If the person was wounded, they might be getting a disability check so the VA knows the address. They won't give you the address but will forward mail.
Narrative Summaries:
Reference Section, (Code HDH-2)
History and Museums Division
Headquarters, USMC
Washington, D.C. 20374-0580
You can request a couple of month's summaries at a time (2-3). You can send as many requests as you like. If you want, you could send in a request in a friend's or family member's name and address for 3 months and a request in your name for 3 different months, etc.
You can also call the USMC Historical Museum, Head Archivist:
Fred Grabowski: 202-433-3840
You can fax your request for AFTER ACTION REPORTS -- this will speed up the process. FAX: 202-433-7265
Marine Corps Unit Records
Marine Corps Unit Records are housed at the USMC Historical Division at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. The unit records are very good and quite extensive, which actually makes for a bit of a problem ... there is so much material, it often requires quite a bit of research to find particular documents.
You can contact the Historical Division for particular research. In the past, they would often do reasonable searches and send you the information for free. I know that they have had serious staff cutbacks, so this service may not be provided today or for free. Government costs for things like this vary, but they will sometimes give you a cost estimate.
The best thing to do is go to D.C., and do the search yourself ... they provide excellent facilities with advance warning and an appointment (don't walk in without prior notice). The historians are very helpful. A thorough record search, however, can take hours or even days.
There are also private researchers who will do record searches for you for a fee.
Semper Fi,
Bill Lewis
Roster Of Corpsmen
The Marine hospital in DaNang in 1968 was the First Medical Battalion, First Marine Division (First Med); and the Navy hospital was the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hospital.
Under the freedom of information act, you can request the roster of Corpsmen at First Med. during your duty time there by writing:
The Commandant of the Marine Corps
MI-3 (FOIA/PA)
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
Washington, D.C. 20380-0001
In a like manner, you can write for the roster of Corpsmen assigned to NSA by writing:
The Chief of Naval Operations, NO9833
530 M St., SE, Building 36
Washington, D.C. 20374-5001
If you succeed in finding a name(s) on one of the rosters that you are looking for, you can ask the VA to contact one or more of the Corpsmen by calling 1-800-872-1000. You will need the service number of the individual(s) you are trying to locate, and that should be included on the roster you receive.
U.S. Navy Muster Rolls
The Navy equivalent of unit rosters, from 1967 to 1975, are available from:
Bureau of Naval Personnel (PERS-093)
Arlington Annex
Federal Building 2, Room 4531
Washington, D.C. 20370-5000
If this is to substantiate a VA or other government related claim, be sure to mention this in your letter, as they generally give priority to those requests over ones for reunions, etc.; and the charges may be less or even zero. Be sure to state the date(s) of the muster rolls requested and provide as much unit information as you have about the Squadron, including what ship it was assigned to. If you have a copy of your husband's DD214, include that also.
Mention somewhere in the letter that you are requesting this under the "Freedom of Information Act." The muster rolls will have names, ranks, and service numbers of individuals in the unit but will not include present whereabouts. Once you have the names, there are other avenues to search to find the people themselves.
Requests For Veterans' Military Information
Deceased Veterans' Records:
Individuals may make a request for copies of deceased veterans' records. To do so, they should submit a request in writing to the nearest VA regional office (dial the toll-free number, 1-800-827-1000). Please provide as much identifying information as possible to enable the local VA office to identify the requested records.
Some examples of useful information include the veteran's full name, VA file number, branch of service, service serial number, Social Security Number, exact dates of birth and/or death, and enlistment and discharge date. In some cases, it may be useful to provide the veteran's home of record at the time of entry into the service.
VA does not maintain organizational information in its computerized database, so information such as duty station is not helpful in identifying VA records. If VA is able to identify the requested records, we will release the deceased veteran's information, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
To Request Your Own Record(s)
An individual may make a request for his/her own VA record. The veteran should submit a written request, under the Privacy Act, to the nearest VA regional office. The veteran should include as much of the same information listed above, as possible. The most important piece of information, if known, is your VA file number, commonly referred to as the VA claim number.
For Veterans Who Have Never Filed for VA Benefits:
Veterans, who have never filed a claim for VA benefits, and who are seeking a copy of their military records, should utilize a Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records. You may request a form by calling the nearest VA regional office at toll-free number 1-800-827-1000.
The form is also available through a "Fax Database" option on VAONLINE accessible at Internet IP 192.26.48.131. Veterans should complete the form with as much identifying information as possible and submit the form to the appropriate address provided on the reverse side of the form.
National Personnel Records Center and VSOs
Military records are kept (generally speaking) at:
Attn: ORU
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100
The assistance of a *good* Veteran's Service Officer (VSO) may be very helpful. They will not only track down your records but assist you with an entire claim process and other help and info that you are requesting.
All the major Veteran's organizations (Legion, VFW, VVA, etc.) have VSOs -- check with your nearest post or check with your state department of Veterans affairs, since most states also have them. Finally, if none of that works, stop in at your nearest Vet Center -- they can put you on the right track. All services from VSOs are FREE.
"How To Locate Anyone Who Is Or Has Been In The Military"
By Lt. Col. Richard S. Johnson
ISBN 1-877639-11-7
The book can be ordered from:
MIE Publishing
P.O. Box 17118
Spartanburg, SC 29301
Phone: 1-800-937-2133
FAX: 1-864-595-0813
E-mail address: miepub@aol.com
Web Site: http://www.militaryusa.com
This book details how to go about ordering all sorts of records, unit diaries, rosters, logs, etc. from each of the service branches. It also tells where other kinds of records are housed such as the historical archives of the service branches.
It lists numerous service-branch/unit-related associations and organizations. Phone numbers and addresses are provided; and, in many cases, specific instructions are given as to any special protocol necessary to getting this or that info.
It is updated annually, so be sure to ask for the latest edition. You should be able to get it from your local library or through interlibrary loan if they don't have a copy or order it from your local bookstore or amazon.com. It has a lot of suggestions and tips for reunion planners.
1998
Combat After Action Reports, Vietnam 1969
Research of OPERATIONAL REPORTS, DAILY STAFF JOURNALS, and DUTY OFFICER'S LOGS at Battalion, Brigade, and Division levels:
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Includes personal accounts received to date.
On Sat, 4 Apr 1998, Ann KELSEY wrote:
Deanna, Bill, and Corky,
Connie Menefee has obtained a datafile with merged records from the CACCF and TACGEN databases which allows a one-step search for casualties by unit. The TACGEN file is for Army units only, so this will not help with other services; but for inquiries involving Army personnel, this *may* allow a one-step search instead of obtaining unit rosters and then matching against the casualty files. She is willing to do searches for VVHP.
I'm forwarding this to you three, with Connie's permission, because I think you would be the ones most likely to get the kinds of requests that could be appropriately searched in this file. Contact her directly for more detailed info.
Ann
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 04 Apr 1998 07:41:45 -0800
From: Constance Lee Menefee
To: Ann KELSEY
Subject: Re: Army casualty/unit database
Ann:
I could search by all the fields available in the CACCF-- you probably know what those are -- if not, I can cobble together a list of those -- PLUS the units listed below. At the very least, it gives us a way to narrow the field considerably. Assuming one has an approximate date and knows the major Army unit, you could end up with some pretty targeted information.
I have been working with the TACGEN list quite a bit, just to see some things. I have included the total KIA for that unit for the duration of the Vietnam War in the info I have included at the bottom of this email.
Send this list on to Deanna and Bill and whoever else might be interested. I'll do whatever I can!!
Connie Menefee
Personal Records
Write to the *capital* city of states, Bureau of Vital Statistics. Most states I've worked with keep all the records of births, deaths, weddings, divorces in their capital cities in a Bureau of that name or variation, and they are usually public records unless sealed by the courts for some reason.
You may want to invest in a phone call to each first, for their fees, forms, procedures, etc...the mails can take so long. If you don't know how to use the national information number: it's 555-1212 for any city in the U.S. You have to find out the area code(s) for the city(ies) (actually, your first step is to find out what the *capital* cities are) and "plug" that in...usually the long distance operator (press 0 on your phone) will give area codes to you if you just ask for them or may direct you to where you can get them.
Example: I want to call a city with the area code of 204 for info...I dail: 1-204-555-1212 and listen for what the operator asks you...maybe, "What city to you want?" and you tell her and then the name of the Bureau, "Vital Statistics" or whatever houses records on marriages and divorces, etc. Usually these operators are good enough to know what you need if you explain and don't have the exact name of the org./company, etc.
Then call them for their procedures...they may send you a form to fill out to mail back along with the fee to search and copy.
You may have to know, within so many years, when these events took place, however. One I searched gave you a five year span each way...so that's a ten-year window; but, you could be in for several search periods and expense before "bingo," if you don't know the exact age, dates, etc....be prepared for this and find out what their time frame of search is.
Marriage(s), divorce(s), death may have occurred in other states than the birth State. Try to remember what he said and analyze it for time frames and places.
If you're going to do a search, be thorough. Keep a photocopied and detailed record of what you are sending/doing so as not to forget or duplicate.
1997
Also access the "Locators & Reunions -- Lost and Found" and the "Locations (Land, Email, Phone, URLs) of Division Assns, Etc." headings in this Index.
Revised 04-05-98 by DGS
Access to Military Records by the General Public
Access to Military Records by the General Public, including genealogists who are not next-of-kin
Limited information from Official Military Personnel Files is releasable to the general public without the consent of the veteran or the next-of-kin. You are considered a member of the general public if you are asking about a veteran who is no relation to you, or a veteran who is a relative but you are not the next-of-kin. Next-of-kin is defined as the unremarried widow or widower, son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister of the deceased veteran.
The type of information releasable is intended to strike a balance between the public's right to obtain information from Federal records, as outlined in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the veteran's right to privacy as defined by the Privacy Act. Information will not be released if requested for unethical purposes.
The type of information releasable to the general public is dependent upon the veteran's authorization.
With the veteran's authorization.
The veteran (or next-of-kin if the veteran is deceased) must authorize release of information which is not available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (In some cases the veteran may already possess military documents that contain the information you are seeking.) The authorization must 1) be in writing; 2) specify what additional information or copies that NPRC (MPR) may release to you; and 3) include the signature of the veteran or next-of-kin. (A sample authorization is included for your review.)
Without the veteran's authorization.
Limited amounts of information can be released from a record to a member of the general public. This is the information available under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Please review the list of releasable items under that topic.
Preparing Requests for Information from Official Military Personnel Files:
Federal law [5 USC 552a(b)] requires that all requests for records and information be submitted in writing. Each request must be signed (in cursive) and dated (within the last year). Certain basic information is needed to locate military service records. This information includes the veteran's complete name used while in service, service number, social security number, branch of service, date of birth, place of birth, and dates of service.
To request military service records
veterans and the next-of-kin of deceased veterans may use vetrecs.archives.gov. For all others, use the Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records. Although not mandatory, the SF 180 is the recommended method to send a request for military service information. This form captures all the necessary information to locate a record. Provide as much information on the form as possible and send copies of any service documents that you may have. Requests may also be submitted as a letter, containing the basic information listed above.
Follow the instructions for preparing the SF 180. Check the table to determine the location of the record and submit your request to the appropriate address.
Note: Do not use the addresses on the SF 180 for sending requests related to the issuance or replacement of medals and awards. Military Awards and Decorations provides the correct mailing addresses for submitting correspondence for issuance or replacement.
Costs:
Most requests for limited information are processed without cost. However, it is possible that a fee may be charged if the researching, processing, and photocopying become excessive. If your request involves a service fee, you will be notified as soon as that determination is made.
Response Time:
Response time varies dependent upon the complexity of your request, the availability of records, and our workload. Please do not send a follow-up request before 90 days have elapsed as it may cause further delays.
"NARA ensures, for the Citizen and the Public Servant, for the President and the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence."
Instant Self-Service Online Death Records Search
Search online, state by state to find the rocords of the individual you are searching for. This is a 100% legal and fully organized historical death record databases, resources and data centers for Fast Public Record Searches...
Personal Privacy
If you wish YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION to be removed from one of the above search sites, I have provided the following instructions and information on how to get your name and personal data out of their grasp if they will co-operate.
1. 411.com - email support@four11.com to be removed.
2. infospace.com - No removal information at this time, suggest calling or emailing
3. anywho.com - No removal information at this time, suggest calling or emailing
4. people.yahoo.com - Again, I am sorry to say no info on removal at this time, call or email
5. whowhere.com - email delete-entry@whowhere.com Request your name and information be removed
6. switchboard.com - email webmaster@switchboard.com (with DELETE in the subject line)
8. searchamerica.com - email webmaster@searchamerica.com Request your information be removed
Please understand unfortunately these companies are under no obligation to remove your name from their files. Some do as a common courtesy and others in an effort to avoid public relations nightmares but they cannot be forced to remove your personal information. Some of your requests may go unheeded. Be persistent, be polite, stay to the point, and do not give up. Again, patience is your continuing virtue.
There will be much more to follow as I add to this page; please sign the guest book so I can track usage of this site or problems you may encounter with information I have provided. Please feel free to leave your suggestions and comments, I am always trying to improve the product I am offering you.
Semper Fi Bro's,
Mike
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