Re: WWI roster
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In reply to:
WWI roster
Kim Shugart 3/28/02
Okay, ready for a long difficult trip?Visit your state archives to obtain his draft registration card.That will have lots of information on it ie draft date and place, ranks, assignments, discharge date, honors, injuries, etc.Visit the town hall records office where he was living at the time he entered the service and see if they or your county court house have a copy of his discharge papers.Write a request with as much information about him and his service as you have to the local Veteran's Association and say you want that information under the freedom of informations act.Stop at the cemetery office to see if they have any information, there are usually forms there, not necessarily about his service, but other info.Now for the hard part, the National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis (NARA).You need to fill out their forms, available on their web site, and send it in, again with acover letter mentioning the freedom of information act.Now I did this 4 times in the past year, and never got a response!They had a terrible fire in 1973 that destroyed many of their records, but they can often piece other available information together...There are two ways that will help you in getting a response.Get your local congressman to write a cover letter for you, and that should get their attention.The other is what I did.I went to my local NARA office (there are 18 in the states) and talked to them, they were appalled.They took copies of my information obtained thus far, and the assistant director is currently looking into it for me. Keeping my fingers crossed!They have called me twice, and said that they had some leads.Visit the NARA website and good luck.