How to Get WWII Military Records

Learn how to get a WWII vet's military records if you're next-of-kin to a deceased WWII vet, a member of the general public, or a vet seeking access to your own records.

Instructions

Step 1: Search for any available military records Search for any available military records online. Having information, such as the vet's service number, can help cut through government red tape.
Step 2: Go to the National Archives website Go to the National Archives' Access to Archival Databases (AAD) online database. Do a fielded search of Army enlistment records.
TIP: A fielded search can require the veteran's full name, service number, state of residence, place of enlistment, and/or birth year.
Step 3: Use the eVetRecs online database Use the eVetRecs online database to directly request copies of a vet's military records. Only vets and deceased vets' next-of-kin are allowed access.
Step 4: Print out the signature verification form Print out the signature verification form from eVetRecs. Mail or fax the signed form. For next-of-kin, include proof of death of the veteran.
TIP: Proof of death can include a death certificate, a letter from the funeral home, or a published newspaper obituary.
Step 5: Go to the NPRC website site Go to the National Personnel Records Center website if you're not a WWII vet or next-of-kin of a deceased vet. Print, fill out, and mail Standard Form 180.
Step 6: Hire a researcher for complicated searches Hire a researcher for more complicated searches. A good starting point is the list of researchers for hire on the National Archives website.
FACT: Eighty percent of all Army personnel files from 1912-1960 were destroyed in a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center.