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I am trying to find out if a person served in the military. The person was my daughter's boyfriend. He just passed away. He claimed to have been in the service, but he also 'told stories' about his past at times.
Is there an on-line database that one could put his name into and maybe DOB to find out for sure?
I am trying to find out if a person served in the military. The person was my daughter's boyfriend. He just passed away. He claimed to have been in the service, but he also 'told stories' about his past at times.
Is there an on-line database that one could put his name into and maybe DOB to find out for sure?
I am trying to find out if a person served in the military. The person was my daughter's boyfriend. He just passed away. He claimed to have been in the service, but he also 'told stories' about his past at times.
Is there an on-line database that one could put his name into and maybe DOB to find out for sure?
You can request some information about military service via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the National Archives Military Personnel Records Section in St Louis, MO.
The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended), generally provides any person with the statutory right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to Government information in executive branch agency records. This right to access is limited when such information is protected from disclosure by one of FOIA's nine statutory exemptions.
FOIA and Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)
The public has access to certain military service information without the veteran's authorization or that of the next-of-kin (the un-remarried widow or widower, son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister) of deceased veterans. Examples of information which may be available from Federal (non-archival) Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) without an unwarranted invasion of privacy include:
Name
Service Number
Dates of Service
Branch of Service
Final Duty Status
Final Rank
Salary *
Assignments and Geographical Locations
Source of Commission *
Military Education Level
Promotion Sequence Number *
Awards and decorations (eligibility only, not actual medals)
Photograph
Transcript of Courts-Martial Trials
This link has instructions on how to submit a written FOIA request. There are over 70 million records in the military records archives.
Was he a member of the VFW? They keep a copy of his DD-214 and from reading it they could explain to you what he did and where he served.
They don't have my DD-214. All I had to provide was my Afghanistan Campaign award. A DD-214 is just one of the documents they accept. If you're still on your first enlistment and fresh out of the sand box you won't even have a DD-214. But you do meet the eligibility criteria for VFW membership, as long as you met the conditions for the campaign medal and were awarded one.
Was he a member of the VFW? They keep a copy of his DD-214 and from reading it they could explain to you what he did and where he served.
Unfortunately he was not a member of anything. And I am not even sure he was in the military, he told stories about his heroic actions, but then again, he 'told stories' about a lot of things.
He did not have paperwork for anything either, no driver' license, SSN card, etc.
I am trying to find out if a person served in the military. The person was my daughter's boyfriend. He just passed away. He claimed to have been in the service, but he also 'told stories' about his past at times.
Is there an on-line database that one could put his name into and maybe DOB to find out for sure?
If you just want to find out if he was in the service.
The poor guy just passed away, by the way. Is there a reason for this? (finding information about him)
Kind of agree, guy passed away. Why go and try and have bad memories of him? Who knows him claiming to have served may of been something he actually wanted to do but couldn't for one reason or another. Idk.
That truth finder does not have me in the archives, nothing notta. I must be living off the grid.
If you just want to find out if he was in the service.
The poor guy just passed away, by the way. Is there a reason for this? (finding information about him)
yes, there is a reason. His daughter is next of kin. My daughter was his girl friend for 14 years, not married to him so she has no status to ask about anything officially or to bury him or cremate him.
HIS daughter wants a military funeral. She can not afford a funeral herself. BUT she is in no hurry to do anything and his body sits in the hospital for nearly 3 weeks now.
I was hoping if there was an on-line, fast answer, database we could tell the daughter for sure he has benefits and help her get something set up a little faster.
And the daughter is 2100 miles away from us and his body, so she also wants it transported to her area for burial. Which if he was in the military, I could research what they will cover for her, and maybe get her moving to do something. Some things, like burying someone should not wait indefinitely.
Kind of agree, guy passed away. Why go and try and have bad memories of him? Who knows him claiming to have served may of been something he actually wanted to do but couldn't for one reason or another. Idk.
That truth finder does not have me in the archives, nothing notta. I must be living off the grid.
Please see the above post. I want to know so that if he was in the military we could maybe use the military benefits to get him buried or cremated.
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