Fire is certainly the bane of genealogists. I often think about what research progress I could have made if the 1890 U.S. Federal Census had not been lost in the Commerce Department building fire on 10 January 1921 and to water damage. Courthouses destroyed by fire during the U.S. Civil War, either by troops or by citizens wishing to prevent opposing troops gaining access to records, also have stymied my research.

Another catastrophic fire occurred on 12 July 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri, at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). Between 16 and 18 million official military pension records were destroyed and many more were damaged. For many of us whose ancestors and relatives served in the United States Army and Air Force in the 20th century, the loss is horrendous. It is estimated that 80% of the records for Army personnel discharged from 1 November 1912 to 1 January 1960, and 75% of the Air Force personnel records for personnel discharged from 25 September 1947 to 1 January 1964 (with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.) were lost.

The records from World War II service can be difficult to replace, but there are alternative records used by the NPRC to reconstruct general information and to respond to inquiries. In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, I want to address some of the alternatives we have that can help us prove basic service and to possibly work around the lost records.

Valuable Discharge Papers
Military discharge papers have always been important records for the veteran. This is perhaps most true for those who served during World War II because of the veterans’ benefits that were made available. The G.I. Bill passed by the U.S. Congress provided educational loans, home loans, surviving spouse and dependents benefits, and death and burial benefits, among other things. Personnel were advised at the time of their discharge to take their discharge papers to their county courthouse and have them recorded there. That way, in the event of their loss, there would be records on file that could help to obtain copies or that could be used as references. Therefore, if you cannot locate the original discharge papers of the veteran you are researching, and the NPRC fire destroyed their personnel service records file, a contact with the courthouse may provide you with an excellent substitute.

NPRC's Alternative Records
The NPRC tries diligently to respond to requests for proof of service, even when the original documents were lost in the fire. One of the best alternative sources they use is a collection of approximately 19 million final pay vouchers. These records are not available to the public for research and review. They do, however, provide the NPRC with the name of the service personnel, his or her service number, the dates of service, and branch and character of service. These are the most critical service data elements needed for the reconstruction process. With these and other organizational records such as enlistment ledgers (see below), service number indexes, and other records in the possession of NARA, the NPRC 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 the application for veterans’ benefits.

In addition, the NPRC obtained a collection of computer tape files containing medical treatment-related information. The subjects of the records were active duty Army and Army Air Corps personnel in service between 1942 and 1945. In addition, active duty Army personnel who served between 1950 and 1954 and a limited number of Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and military cadet personnel for the same period (about 5% of the 1950-54 file) are included. Again, these records are not accessible by the public but it is important to know that the NPRC does have and does use these and other alternative record types to help reconstruct a record of military service.

For information on requesting records from the NPRC, see their website.

World War II Army Enlistment Records
The U.S. Army World War II Enlistment Records (1938-1946) are in the possession of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and are part of their Record Group 64. This series contains records of approximately 9 million men and women who enlisted in the United States Army between 1938 and 1946, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and the Enlisted Reserve Corps. The series does not include records for Army officers, members of other military services, or enlistments from other time periods.

Ancestry.com added the searchable database of World War II Enlistment Records to its collection in November, and it can be an excellent source of information to verify the actual enlistment. For example, I located the enlistment record for one of my uncles, Joe B. Mason in the database. It confirms his year of birth as 1914, his state of nativity (North Carolina), his place of residence at that time, his enlistment date (4 December 1942), and his place of enlistment (Camp Croft, South Carolina). It indicates that he enlisted as a private, was married, had 4 years of college education, was 72” tall, and weighed 137 pounds. Since his military personnel file was among those lost in the 1973 file, this is one alternative record that can be used to confirm the beginning of his service.

World War II Prisoner of War Records
NARA also has a collection of World War II prisoner of war records originally compiled from records and reports of the International Red Cross. There is information about approximately 140,000 U.S. officers and soldiers, as well as U.S. and some Allied civilians who were prisoners of war (POWs) during World War II. This period specifically covers 7 Dec 1941 through 19 Nov 1946.

Ancestry.com has recently added a searchable database of these POW records. The information includes the name of the person, his/her residence state, the date of the report, the person’s rank (grade), service branch and arm/division, area served, detaining country and a number designating the holding camp, and the person’s status.

WWI, WWII, and Korean War Casualty Listings
Another recent database added at Ancestry.com is the World War I. World War II, and Korean War Casualty Listings. The record for PFC William C. Smith, serial number 32771707, served in the 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. His date of death is listed as 15 August 1944 and his burial location is shown to be the Cambridge American Cemetery in Cambridge, England, in Plot E, Row 2, and Grave 58. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

A complementary resource for casualties buried overseas is the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) website. The site contains searchable databases for World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, as well as listings of War Dead and veterans of the Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War who are buried at the ABMC cemeteries in Corozal, Panama, and Mexico City, Mexico. Additional information about name, rank, serial number, unit, date of death, cemetery where interred and/or memorialized, and awards or medals. This site is definitely worth a visit for additional information.

Never Give Up!
When researching military service in the 20th century, remember that there are other avenues other than just the NPRC in St. Louis. The alternate records and databases I’ve described are a great beginning. Published military histories, personal memoirs of service personnel, unit diaries and ledgers held by NARA, and other resources may also contain information about your ancestor or family member. Alternative records do exist for you to investigate.

Happy Hunting!
George

George is president and a proud member of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. Visit the ISFHWE website. Visit George’s website for information about speaking engagements. Upcoming events in 2006 include:

• January 28, 2006
  Pinellas County Genealogical Society Conference, Largo, FL
• February 11, 2006
  Palm Beach County Genealogical Society, Palm Beach, FL
• February 22, 2006
  Englewood Genealogical Society, Englewood, FL
• March 1, 2006
  Volusia County Genealogical Society, Daytona Beach, FL
• March 14, 2006
  Citrus County Genealogical Society, Lecanto, FL
• March 21, 2005
  South Bay Genealogical Society, Sun City Center/Ruskin, FL
• March 31, 2006
  Writers’ Workshop, Muskogee, OK
• April 1, 2006
  Muskogee County Genealogical Society Conference, Muskogee, OK
• April 11, 2006
  Brandon Area Historical and Genealogical Society, Brandon, FL
• April 22, 2006
  Virginia Beach Genealogical Society, Virginia Beach, VA
• April 27, 2006
  The Villages Genealogical Society, The Villages, FL
• April 28-29, 2006
  Ohio Genealogical Society, Toledo, Ohio
• May 26-28, 2006
  Ontario Genealogical Society, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
• June 7-10
  National Genealogical Society Conference, Chicago/Rosemont, IL

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