Veterans & Family Search
& Information
Obtaining Military Records: All Services
IDPF - Individual
Deceased Personnel File
Obtaining Unit Records: Air Force
Obtaining Unit Records: Marines
Government Grave Marker Requests
On-Line Vietnam War Casualty Databases
Vietnam Areas of Operation Maps
Veterans or their next of kin can obtain complete military and medical records, including DD-214s. Non-relatives may also request this information, but what they will receive will be limited and will not include date of birth, official photo, records of court martial for active duty personnel, medical information, social security number, or present address. State that the request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act.
Requests for military records are best made on a government form, SF 180. There is an online records request capability, but experience to date indicates difficulty in getting all of the records available through this method. The paper form has a better track record if used in the manner prescribed below. This form is available on the Internet at
http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records/standard_form_180.html
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). It is suggested you use the exact wording above to name documents on form SF 180 as this has achieved good results in the past.
When requesting medical records a statement should be included that they are needed by a current physician if applicable. 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 if known.
Send the SF 180 to the
An alternate choice for Army veterans
if positive ID such as a service number is available,
is to request a copy of the veteran’s "Individual Deceased Personnel File"
from:
Department
of the Army
ATTN: TAPC-PED-F
(Address
must be exactly as written including caps)
The above address with address caution is information a few years old now
(2004). One individual awaiting IDPF processing
received an “in progress” status mailing from:
Administration Section
Dept of the Army
US Total Army Personnel Command
And from another source the following:
Army (only) Deceased Personnel File - This file contains detailed information on each Army casualty… file may include – autopsy report and finger prints… personal effects list, etc. Letter of request: Must include Dad’s Military ID #, name, unit served with, casualty date. Be sure to enclose a copy of your birth certificate showing proof of your relationship to deceased.
FOIA OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
ADMIN SECTION, ATTN:TAP-ALP-A (FOIA)
DCS PERSONNEL & LOGISTICS
U.S. Army Personnel Rosters and Morning Reports are
available from the
Operations Reports/Lessons Learned (ORLL) and other primary
source material about Army units in
Similar reference assistance may also be obtained from the U.S. Army Military History Institute, Bldg. 22, Upton Hall, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, PA 17013-5008, 717-245-3611, fax 717-245-3711.
Unlike the Army and Marine Corps, the Air Force did not
prepare unit rosters. Morning Reports from September 1947 to
The Official Air Force Register listing personnel from
1949-1975 is available on microfilm from the Office of Air Force History,
Building 5681, 170 Luke Avenue, Bolling AFB,
Washington, DC 20332-5113, 202-767-4548 or 5764. As with unit rosters in the
other services, in order to locate material concerning a particular individual,
it is necessary to know the time period and the unit/squadron in which the
person served. The Air Force Register, 1949-1975 is also located at the
National Guard Association of the United States Library,
The Catalog of The USAF Oral History Collection (1989), a
finding aid arranged alphabetically by name of interviewee with list of topics
discussed, includes air room interviews, air intelligence contact units, and
escape and evasion interviews for
The most definitive and comprehensive collection of Air Force primary source materials is located at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (formerly the U.S. Air Force Research Center), 600 Chennault Circle, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL 36112-6424, 205-953-5834. This archive contains, among others, the following materials, some of which have been mentioned above:
Unit Histories, some dating to WWI, are available as published or unpublished hardcopy documents and/or on microfilm. As with all unit history searches, the requester must know the name or number of the unit.
Aircraft Record Cards which list assignments of aircraft are available for the period of ca. 1926-1980. They are sorted by military serial number, an index of which is available.
Missing Air Crew Reports from WWII.
Check with the agency for availability of these documents from
As with other archives, it is best to call and speak with an archivist for assistance in starting your search before actually going to the archive.
Other Air Force agencies which may have relevant information or documents are:
Air Force Historian, 60 AMW/HO, Travis AFB, CA 94535, 707-424-3241, email: cstarr@amw60.travis.af.mil
Air Combat Command, Historian,
Many of these agencies also have websites.
Unit diaries, which include rosters, through 1966 are located
at the Marine Corps Historical Center. The records are arranged by month and
year, and list the officers and enlisted men within a unit at the company level
or the battalion/squadron level. These documents may be examined in person or
may be requested in writing, one month and year per letter, and they will only
accept one request per year for one month of records. Specify exact unit
information and state that the request is being made under the Freedom of
Information Act. Send or fax written requests to the Marine Corps Historical
Center, Reference Section, Building 58, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC
20374-0580, 202-433-3483, Fax: 202-433-4691.
Marine Corps operations reports, including plans, command
diaries, command chronologies, and after action reports from 1964 are located
at the Marine Corps Historical Center, Archives Section, Building 58,
Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374, 202-433-4253. Call in advance and
speak with the archivist about your request. Marine Corps reports through 1963
are located at the Textual Reference Branch, National Archives II,
U.S. Navy Muster Rolls, the equivalent of unit rosters, are
available from the following locations. The location of the records is based on
date and on type of service, whether on a ship or not. Muster rolls from 1939
through 1966 (ships only) are located at the National Personnel Records Center,
9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100, 314-538-4141. U.S. Navy Muster Rolls
from 1967 to 1975 are located at Bureau of Naval Personnel (PERS-093),
Arlington Annex, Federal Building 2, Room 4531,
Deck logs, listing a monthly roster of officers, are accessed through the Textual Reference Branch of the National Archives. Address and phone/fax numbers are in the previous paragraph.
Cruise books for specific ships may be available from
military reunion groups or the Navy Museum/Ship Histories, 1st Floor, Bldg 57,
Washington Navy Yard, 901 M Street, SE,
Passenger manifests for military on Navy ships are
maintained by the
Call and ask to speak with an Archivist specializing in the Vietnam War before going to the Archives. They can assist in determining whether materials you are interested in are available and explain how to obtain a researcher's card to examine the documents.
YOU CAN SEARCH ONLINE FOR
VETERANS' BURIAL SITES
The Department of Veterans Affairs has put the burial records of 3.2 million
veterans online. They are buried in 120 national cemeteries and some state
cemeteries. The records go back to the Civil War. However, nearly half of the
Union dead from the Civil War are unidentified. If you are tracing an ancestor,
the government has a search engine. You must know the last name. If you have
more information, there is an advanced search available. Start your search at: http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1
The American Battle Monuments Commission is the
These cemeteries are the resting place of over 100,000 American soldiers and sailors.
Part of the online service of the American Battle Monuments Commission is three searchable databases of those killed in three 20th century wars: World War 1, World War 2, and the Korean War.
The searches themselves are the soul of simplicity. Just
select the war (World War 1, World War 2, or
Clicking on the "Go" button next to the personal name, you will get a more complete explanation, including the person's unit, date and place of death and burial, and even any honors awarded during his or her service. The entries for Korean War casulaties are occasionally more detailed than the casualty entries for the two world wars.
These three searches can provide valuable data in themselves, and provide you with sufficient information to request a more full service file from the federal government.
American Battle Monuments Commission
www.abmc.gov
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has revised its application form to make requesting a VA grave marker easier. The new form, Application For Standard Government Headstone or Marker (VA Form 40-1330), includes updated information about changes that expand eligibility for a government marker. The new form and instruction sheets also permit better communication between VA and veterans' families.
For deaths on or after
The laws require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report
to Congress by
In January 2002, VA introduced a toll-free fax service for submitting applications. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as an alternative to regular mail. Instructions, as well as the fax number, 1-800-455-7143, are on the VA website at http://www.cem.va.gov/.
The application form on the website can be filled in and printed for submitting by mail or fax. Questions about a headstone or marker application can be directed to VA's Memorial Programs Service applicant assistance unit at 1-800-697-6947.
All honorably discharged veterans are entitled to a one
time, free of charge replacement set of their authorized medals and ribbons.
Submit request in writing to:
From another source:
Replacing Medals - Medals awarded while in active service will be issued by the appropriate service if requested by veterans or, if deceased, their next of kin. The veteran's full name should be printed or typed, so that it can be read clearly. The request must contain the signature of the veteran or the signature of the next of kin if the veteran is deceased. Include a copy of the military service records – this will have a list of all medals awarded.
Requests for Navy, Marine Corps
and Coast Guard send to:
U.S. Navy Liaison Office
National Personnel Records Center
Room
9700 Page Blvd.
Requests Army send to:
U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Center
ATTN: ARPC-VSE
9700 Page Blvd.
Requests Air Force send to:
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC www.nps.gov/vive/home.htm
was built from private donations collected by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial found.
After the Wall was dedicated, it became the property of the
citizens of the
The National Park Service provides lawn mowing and landscaping services, Park Service Police, and National Park Rangers at the Wall. National Park Service volunteers also work at the Wall and get their uniforms, rubbing paper, directories, and “employee insurance” from the National Park Service. The National Park Service has funded such things as an array of expansion-contraction sensors behind each panel of the Wall.
Volunteers from a nearby chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of
America wash the Wall monthly. For a number of years, VVA Chapter 451 from
National Park Service employees set up the stage, chairs, and fences for ceremonies at the Wall.
Vietnam Veterans National Memorial http://www.angelfirememorial.com/
In Angel Fire, New Mexico, was built in 1972 by Dr. David Westphall
in honor of his son who was killed in Vietnam in 1968. For several years the
memorial was operated by Disabled American Veterans, then a not-for-profit
corporation. In 2004 the Memorial became a
Women In Military Service to
There are four different organizations that operate “Traveling” scaled-down versions of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that tour the country, staying at a sponsored site for three to six days. Two organizations that had operated their own traveling Walls are no longer doing so; “Lake County Vetz” and Service Corporation International (SCI), a cemetery consortium
“The Moving Wall”, http://www.themovingwall.org/ is a ½ scale replica of the Wall which was first displayed in 1984 and is operated by Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd. John Devitt, the president, has constructed five Moving Walls which have traveled to Saipan, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico, Canada, and about 700 locations in the continental United States. Two structures of The Moving Wall are in operation this year. This year’s fee for a 6-day visit is $3500.
“American Veterans Traveling Tribute” http://www.avtt.org/ is a 5/8 scale replica of the Wall. The AVTT display
includes the world’s largest POW/MIA flag.
“The Wall That Heals”
http://www.vvmf.org/
Operated by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial fund was built in 1997 with donations
from the VFW and Turner Television. Harley Davidson and Target Department
Stores provide funding. This year’s fee for a 3-day visit is $6225 plus hotel
accommodations for the travel team.
“
Several web sites provide visitors the ability to view and publish photographs, poems, letters, citations, and other remembrances to those who are named on the Wall.
The Virtual Wall http://www.virtualwall.org/
Opened
Remembrances on VVMF’s web site http://www.thevirtualwall.org/
– Also called “The Vietnam Veterans Digital Legacy”, opened
No-Quarter: The
Coffelt Database http://www.virtualwall.org/docs/vwdbase.htm
is named after Richard Coffelt who organized a
handful of volunteers and databases ( including Gary
Roush's database). The most complete
and most up-to-date Vietnam War casualty database is available for anybody to
download for free. This is the only database that has small-unit (to company or
troop level) information (about 90% complete) and is updated every few weeks to
reflect corrections and newly-found small unit information submitted by those
who leave memorial pages on The Virtual Wall.
Casualty statistics to include NVA and ARVN, http://www.rjsmith.com/kia_tbl.html
broken down in various ways: