The
National Personnel Records Center
in St. Louis, Missouri, maintains the personnel files of military service
records from World War I and later. On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at NPRC
destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files.
Approximately 80 percent of the records for ARMY personnel discharged November
1, 1912 to January 1, 1960 and 75
percent of the records for Air
Force personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964 (with
names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.) were destroyed. In the event
the file was destroyed, the National Records Center will attempt to
reconstruct the service record using alternative sources and can usually
verify military service and provide a Certification of Military Service.
This Certification can be used for any purpose for which the original
discharge document was used, including application for veterans benefits.
First Name
Last Name
Modern era
(World War I to present) Military Service Records are held by the National
Personnel Records Center rather than the National Archives, and are limited to authorized individuals due to the
Privacy Act. For details of who may access records, click here. To obtain a copy of your
DD Form 214, CLICK HERE.
Modern era Pension
and Medical Records are under the custodianship of the Department of
Veterans Affairs and are covered by the Privacy Act and access is through the
Freedom of Information Act. For an estimate
CLICK HERE.
We can also assist in obtaining replacement
medals and awards. For details CLICK HERE
Early era Military
Service and Pension Records
from 1775 until 1916 are not restricted and are maintained by the
National Archives. For information on obtaining these records,
CLICK HERE
You will find links to additional Military Records information below. Some are
free and some require subscriptions services. You will find more links by
clicking on the wartime period below.
