WWII soldiers showing off their mustaches

Research A Veteran

How to Locate Someone Who Fought in World War II

Research a Veteran Guide


Please note that the National Archives are currently closed due to the pandemic.

More than 16 million American men and women served in the US Armed Forces during World War II, and another 3.5 million worked as federal civilian employees during the war. These men and women are our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings. Many have shared their stories, but many others have not, and few details from their time in service are known.

The purpose of this guide is to assist veterans and their families in obtaining copies of their military personnel files from the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Details include the types of records available, where they are located, and how to obtain copies. The latter part of the guide details the information available on WWII units and ships. By researching the unit or ship to which a veteran was assigned, you can begin to piece together his or her unique wartime story, and better understand what the war means to your family.

This free resource supports research initiatives of the Museum's Institute for the Study of War and Democracy.

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WWII Research Services

As each moment passes, more memories of World War II leave us. Connecting with a loved one's WWII experience becomes tougher with each passing day—conversations, old documents, and photos fade. Finding records and making sense of them can be a daunting task, which is why we've launched WWII Research Services, an initiative aimed at locating and translating military records for the general public. Our expert researchers wade through myriad military and civilian files in order to find the information you want to search for, which isn't easily accessible online. All it takes is filling out our online form or calling our experts to start the process—contact us today.

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Individuals Who Never Made It Home

Request the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). The IDPF will almost always establish his unit and give information on his burial. In many cases, it will also give valuable information about where and when he died, possibly including reports of the action in which he died. For men whose remains were never recovered or identified, extremely valuable records of the testimonies of his buddies are usually included, giving extraordinary information about the action, what happened to him, and when they last saw him. NOTE: Youmust send a letter before any information can be sent out to you. The letter should include your signed statement of willingness to pay the Freedom of Information Act fees for the work involved. If you are requesting your relative's IDPF, they may not charge you.

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
ATTN: AHRC-FOIA
1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Dept. 107
Fort Knox, Kentucky 40122-5504
502-613-4400
usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.foia@mail.mil

If the deceased was buried overseas and you want information on a gravesite or possible memorial site, contact the American Battle Monuments Commission.

American Battle Monuments Commission
Courthouse Plaza II
2300 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 500
Arlington, VA 22201
703-696-6897

Missing in Action

You can find a listing of dead and missing Army and Air Force personnel by county at The National Archives and Records Administration website.

Individuals Who Made It Home After the War

If the individual came home then his discharge papers will provide a lot of valuable information. If you do not have these papers you will want to contact theNational Personnel Records Center To get this information you must fill out a Standard Form 180. To get a form, call the following numbers and leave your name and address. The Standard Form 180 will be mailed to you.

National Personnel Records Center
(Military Personnel Records)
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
314-801-0800
On the Web

The National Personnel Records Center might not have any information about the individual due to a fire in 1973 that destroyed many records. If this is the case, you may try contacting the Department of Veteran Affairs. They have addresses and information on veterans who applied for benefits. To find out if they have any information on your veteran, call them at 800-827-1000.

If the Department of Veteran Affairs does not have any information you can try contacting the Veteran Affairs Insurance Center at 800-669-8477.

If you do not know the individual's Social Security number and they applied for veterans benefits after April of 1973 you can send a $2 check made payable to the Department of Veteran Affairs. In a letter to them, ask for the individual's VA claim number, not his Social Security number. If the claim number is nine digits, then it is also the individual's SS number. Mail this letter to:

Department of Veteran Affairs
Records Management Processing Center
P.O. Box 5020
St. Louis, MO 63115

Finding A Military Unit

Once you find the individual's information, or if you already knew it, you can contact members of their military unit. Many can be easily found with Internet research. From there you can contact the person in charge of the group to get further detailed information. This is the best way to get in contact with the soldiers who served with this person.