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From: <>
Subject: [RHEA-L] Military Records Tip #184
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 23:19:40 EDT

Subj: TIP# 184 - MILITARY RECORDS - WHAT DO THEY CONTAIN & HOW TO ORDER
Date:98-09-22 08:39:34 EDT
From: (Sandi Gorin)
To:

TIP #184 MILITARY RECORDS - WHAT DO THEY CONTAIN AND HOW TO ORDER

This topic was recently covered in Ancestry and I thought it an excellent
source of information for the researcher.
I thank them for their willingness to share. Listed here will be the types
of forms available and what information is found on them:

FORM 80 - PRE WORLD WAR I:
*Pension Application Files : These are most useful to researchers as they
contain the most complete information regarding a man's military career.
The researcher is urged to request copies of a man's pension file. Pension
application files are based on Federal (not State) service before World War
I and usually include an official statement of the veteran's military
service, as well as information of a personal nature. Pensions based on
military service for the Confederate States of America were authorized by
some Southern States but not by the Federal Government until 1959.
Inquiries about State pensions should be addressed to the State archives or
equivalent agency at the capital of the veteran's State of residence after
the war (See NARA's Confederate Records page at:
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/confed.html for more information.)

*Military Service Records - These are based on service in the following:
Army (officers who served before June 30, 1917, and enlisted men who served
before October 31, 1912)
Navy (officers who served before 1903 and enlisted men who served before 1886)
Marine Corps (officers who served before 1896 and enlisted men who served
before 1905)
Confederate Armed Forces officers and enlisted men, 1861-65)
Persons who served in regular forces raised by the Federal Government
Volunteers fought in various wars chiefly in the Federal Government's
interest from the Revolutionary War
through the Philippine Insurrection, 1775-1902.

Records were not compiled for Regular Army officers who served before 1863
and for Regular Army enlisted men and Navy and Marine Corps personnel who
served during most of the nineteenth century. Records pertaining to such
service are scattered among many files and generally contain few details
concerning a man's service. NARA cannot undertake the research necessary to
locate all such documents. If you request a military service record, they
will copy the documents that best summarize the veteran's service. The
record of an individual's service in any one organization is entirely
separate from his record of service in another organization. NARA is unable
to establish accurately the identity of individuals of the same name who
served in different organizations. If you know that an
individual served in more than one organization and you desire copies of
all of the military service records, submit a separate form for the service
record in each organization.

DISCHARGE CERTIFICATES: Discharge certificates are not usually included as
a part of a compiled military service record. Before 1944, Army regulations
allowed the preparation of an original discharge certificate only, which
was given to the soldier. Confederate soldiers in service at the time of
surrender did not receive discharge certificates. They were given paroles,
and these paroles became the property of the soldier.

NARA's Catalog of Military Service Records on Microfilm is online at:
http://www.nara.gov/publications/microfilm/military/mil02.txt

To request Form 80 (limit 6 per order), write to: National Archives and
Records Administration, Attn: NWCTB
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001 Or Email:


You must provide the following information:
1. Veteran's complete name used while in service
2. Branch of service
3. State from which he served
4. War in which, or dates between which he served
5. If service was Civil War, Union or Confederate

Additional information, if known:
6. Unit in which he served
7. If service was in Army, Arm in which he served (Infantry, Cavalry,
Artillery, or other)
8. Officer or enlisted
9. Volunteers or Regulars
10. Pension/Bounty Land File No.
11. If veteran lived in a home for soldiers, give location (city & state)
12. Places veteran lived after service.
13. Date and/or place of birth
14. Date and/or place of death
15. Name of widow or other claimant

Send the completed form to: Textual Reference Branch (NNR1), National
Archives and Records Administration
7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408. (Do not include
payment with the form, you will be billed for the copies. Credit card
orders will be mailed immediately.) This guide to military records will be
available online at: http://www.ancestry.com/research/military80.htm

FORM 180: MILITARY RECORDS - WORLD WAR I AND AFTER

The Military Personnel Records Building houses military personnel and
medical records as well as the dependent medical records of former members
of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Approximately 16-18 million
Official Military Personnel Files pertaining to certain Army and Air Force
service members were destroyed in a
disastrous fire at NPRC (MPR) in 1973. Records affected were: ~ Army
Personnel discharged November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960, Air Force
Personnel discharged, September 25, 1947, to January 1, 1964, (with names
alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.) - Estimated 75% lost. Alternate
record sources are used to reconstruct basic service information destroyed
in the fire. More information about the 1973 fire can be found at:
http://www.nara.gov/regional/mprfire.html . A list of Alternative Record
Sources is at:
http://www.nara.gov/regional/mpralts.html

Most Official Military Personnel Files at NPRC (MPR) contain both
personnel and active duty health records. However, in 1992 the Army began
retiring health records to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The other
services (except the Coast Guard) implemented this change during 1994.

Personnel Record Portion: This is an administrative record. It shows
enlistment/appointment, duty stations and assignments, training,
qualifications, performance, awards and medals, disciplinary actions,
insurance, emergency data, administrative remarks,
separation/discharge/retirement, and other personnel actions. The DD Form
214, Report of Separation, or equivalent is filed in the Official Military
Personnel File. Detailed information about the veteran's participation in
military battles and engagements is NOT contained in the record.

Health Record Portion: Health records include: outpatient, dental, and
mental health treatment that a former member received while in the military
service. It also includes health records documents include induction and
separation physical examinations, and routine medical care (doctor/dental
visits, lab tests, etc.) when the patient was not admitted to a hospital.
In comparison, clinical (hospital inpatient) records are NOT filed with the
health records but are generally retired to NPRC (MPR) by the facility
which created them.

To request Form 180, write to: National Personnel Records Center (MPRC),
9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132 OR Call the appropriate phone
number:

Army Reference Branch (Provides reference service on Army records, 1960 to
present) Tel: 314-538-4261 Fax: 314-538-4175

Air Force Reference Branch (Provides reference service on Air Force
records: 1964-present, 1947-1963 (for individuals with last names of A
through Hubbard, James D.) Tel: 314-538-4243 Fax: 314-538-4175

Records Reconstruction Branch (Provides reference service on records
damaged in the 1973 fire at NPRC. Army records: 1912-1959 and Air Force
records: 1947-1963 for individuals with last names after Hubbard, James D.)
Tel: 314-538-4261 Fax: 314-538-4175

Navy Reference Branch (Provides reference service on Navy, Marine Corps,
and Coast Guard records at NPRC) Tel: 314-538-4141 Fax: 314-538-4175

OR you may download the form at: http://www.nara.gov/regional/mprsf180.html

Information needed to complete the form:

1. Veteran's complete name used while in service
2. Service number or social security number
3. Branch of service
4. Dates of service
5. Officer or enlisted
6. Date and place of birth may also be helpful, especially if the service
number is not known.

If the request pertains to a record that may have been involved in the 1973
fire at NPRC(MPR), also include:

7. Place of discharge
8. Last unit of assignment
9. Place of entry into the service, if known.

Send completed form to: National Personnel Records Center (MPRC), 9700 Page
Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132
This guide to military records will be available online at:
http://www.ancestry.com/research/military180.htm

Copyright 22 September 1998, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved,

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