Did you know that you can use online tools to gather information for official military records? All you need is some information about your relative to find fascinating details from their service records.
Lt. B. Moore, USN, 1958When Dad would talk of his time in the Navy, he would captivate the room with his adventures and narrow escapes. I took notes, but there are gaps that I can no longer fill in with a quick phone call. I wish I'd asked more questions while I still had the opportunity. He's gone now, but not forgotten. Rest in peace, Dad.
During the 24 years my dad spent in the service, the names of ships changed as often as the names of the bases where he was stationed. Brooklyn Naval Yard, Key West Naval Station, Charleston Naval Shipyard in South Carolina and Naval Station Norfolk, VA were ports where he served within just a few years.
Finding out the names of the ships on which he served was something I waited too late to ask. But there is a way to get the official records that would answer my questions, and it was surprisingly simple.
He served as a Plank Owner aboard the USS Rich, a Gearing Class Destroyer. A "plank owner" is an individual who was a member of the crew of a ship when that ship was placed in commission.
Filling in the gaps as I reconstruct the timeline of my father's military service assignments was definitely easier with help from the Naval Archives. Below you'll find what is required for requesting records for your own veteran.
Who Can Request Records?
If you are a veteran or a deceased veteran's next of kin, you can request records through the National Personnel Records Center. There's no charge for this service, and it's straightforward whether by mail, fax, or online.
The next of kin can be any of the following:
- A surviving spouse that has not remarried
- Father
- Mother
- Son
- Daughter
- Sister
- Brother
Information needed to request the Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) includes the following:
- The veteran's complete name used while in service
- Service number
- Social security number
- Branch of service
- Dates of service
- Date and place of birth (especially if the service number is not known).
- If you suspect your records may have been involved in the 1973 fire, also include:
- Place of discharge
- Last unit of assignment
- Place of entry into the service, if known.
- All requests must be signed and dated by the veteran or next-of-kin.
- If you are the next of kin of a deceased veteran, you must provide proof of death of the veteran such as a copy of death certificate, letter from funeral home, or published obituary.
Personnel records and Service Treatment Records (STR) of military service members who retired, were discharged or died in service over the past sixty-two years are available to the next of kin of the veteran.
When the Standard Form 180 is submitted to the appropriate agency, depending on the branch of service, it requires only a minimal amount of information to complete the form, including the exact name the veteran used during service, their social security number, date and place of birth, branch of service and date entered and released from military service.
The form asks if this veteran is deceased and, if so, the date, and if the person retired from military service. They offer a checklist of items that may be requested, such as a form DD214 (which is the military discharge "Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States"), an important form useful when filing for military benefits and other business.
The requester can ask for All Documents in the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), Medical Records including Service Treatment Records (outpatient), inpatient and dental records.
The form does ask your purpose in obtaining these records. Although the answer to this is voluntary, it may result in a "faster reply" when answered. When I submitted my Form 180, I listed my interest in writing a chronology for the veteran's descendants and for publication of stories related to military interest.
Your signature is required on the form along with any proof of death, such as a death certificate, and the relationship you have to the military service person, for example, next of kin. In my case, it was as the daughter. I didn't have a copy of the death certificate but they accepted the obituary from the newspaper along with the funeral card showing the birth date and date deceased of the veteran.
After making a copy of my request, I mailed it off on March 7, eager for the return of my packet. I called to follow up on the request on March 25th and spoke with an efficient, well-informed staff member who found my request quickly and let me know they were "working on it" pending copies of certain documents. He said I could expect to receive something by the middle of April.
Living in military housing, most of our childhood friends were other Navy kids both at school and in the neighborhood. We moved often as the duty stations changed about every 2 years.
Our military ID cards gave us access to the Commissary for groceries, the base exchange (BX) for supplies, and the base theater where for 10 cents we could see the latest movies and spend our Saturday mornings. We enjoyed countless hours swimming at the Officer's pool on base. We took classes for self-defense in Judo and Jiu Jitsu and competed in tournaments against other students.
The Navy was our world and it was a good life.
The manila envelope marked Official Business came from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, arriving in remarkable time just thirty days after my request was mailed. It included a list of decorations, medals, badges, commendations and campaign ribbons that he was awarded.
There were records indicating his pay scale, ports of duty, dates he took leave and even the service training he completed. Copies of his enlistment papers listed classes he took in high school and which sports he played written in his own hand. I'm still discovering interesting facts about my father's military service from the documents I received.
If you're a historian or just fascinated with the details of your parent's military service, requesting this information about your veteran is the way to get started. Follow the link to the National Personnel Records Center to begin your quest.
I wish you all the best in your search to find out more about your family history.
Veteran Personnel Records at the National Archives
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