How to find WWII veterans' records and tell their stories.
- Richard Murphy
- Feb 5
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 4
I recently gave a talk (February 2026) to a neighboring Rotary club about how to research veterans' records and what to do with that information. It was a great talk, and the feedback was very refreshing as was the interest, from young and old. It also prompted me to finally put info about this here to help others uncover and share these unknown stories.
Narrowing down what a specific person did in the war is close to impossible. However, we can get pretty close when we put all the puzzle pieces together...see the histories on this site if you have not already. Additionally, it takes a lot of time and detective work to get even 'pretty close.' I love doing that detective work, but not everybody does nor should they be expected to. That being said, some people may choose to try to find out what their veteran did on their own - I salute that and am happy to help at any point during the process. In that pursuit, for starters, here is the how-to.
The information that follows is part FAQ and part scenario based. It is what works for me, but it (or some variant of it) may also work for people who want to chase this stuff down on their own. Your experience(s) may be better. If so, please advise me so I can help people like us help these veterans and their families.
Also, the info below includes local information about the archives in Allegheny County, PA, meaning mostly Pittsburgh. It's not a stretch to insert your own county's info where I've talked about mine. The info below also includes detailed information from the National Archives as of early February 2026. If that info has changed during your investigation, please let me know so I can update it.
Let's also be clear on this: your expectation that you will get back pages and pages of detailed information from the National Archives should be very low. For me, usually, that absence of information (for various reasons) kick-starts a more in-depth search using other resources. In other words, the absence of official records and documents is not a deal-breaker in uncovering these great people and their great stories.
For the most part, finding information to put together a history of a WWII veteran is a very time-consuming endeavor. It can be difficult, frustrating, and often times there is nothing to uncover, sadly. But, when the puzzle pieces come together, the outcome is wonderful, even if not totally complete. Its way better to find something than to let nothing rule the day.
Discover - Preserve - Share.
How to start a search - get the veteran's discharge papers
A veteran’s discharge papers are the key to everything.
Discharge papers include the basic info about a veteran’s career that can then be used to find out more details (most of the time).
What are discharge papers? Discharge papers are issued to every service member at the end of a tour of active duty; that often coincides with getting out of the military altogether.
VA’s definition: “…a crucial document that serves as the capstone of a service member’s military record, detailing their time in service.”
Examples:
I can’t find a copy of my veteran’s discharge papers. Now what?
There are two routes that might help:
The National Archives.
The county archives where the veteran lived when he or she got home after discharge.
The National Archives
Use this link and see the following...
Who can request a veteran’s military records from the National Archives?
Less than 62 years ago:
If the veteran is still alive, the veteran.
If the veteran is deceased, it has to be NOK (next of kin), with a Death Certificate:
Surviving unremarried spouse.
Father.
Mother.
Son.
Daughter.
Sister.
Brother.
More than 62 years ago:
The public.
How to request military records/discharge papers from the National Archives?
The link above is for a specific form - use it as it speeds up the process.
Electronically.
The process to request records online directly from the archives is a bit tedious and requires
establishing an identity verification account through a third-party service (ID.me).
By mail.
A form should be downloaded and printed: SF-180, in pdf format, meaning you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader on your computer.
Complete the form with as much information about the veteran as possible.
(The SF-180 is suggested but not required…a detailed letter is OK.)
Sign the form or letter with an actual signature in cursive!
Address: National Personnel Records Center, 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138.
By fax.
Using the same documents as above, fax to (314) 801-9195.
Records return: Electronic or paper copies can be requested.
How much does it cost to get discharge papers or records from the National Archives?
It depends and if there is a fee involved, the requestor will be notified to pay it.
Discharge papers are free for the veteran, NOK, and authorized representatives.
Discharge papers are not considered archival.
For archival records, the other documents in a veteran's file, usually those 62 years old or older, there may be a flat fee of $25 for an OMPF (Official Military Personnel File) of five pages or less and then $70 for larger documents.
Smaller fees are applied for popular records (celebrities, known heroes, etc.)
How long does it take to get discharge papers and records back from the National Archives?
Months at least, about three, but usually longer if there are several documents involved.
The NARA/NPRC (National Archives and Records Administration and National Personnel Records Center) employees do not work during federal government shutdowns.
What records get returned from the National Archives? (Expectation management.)
It depends on what is available. Some records simply do not exist, and many are incomplete. This is because of the volume of information in a service member’s file (often not much) and the volume of millions of these records...much gets lost in the shuffle.
Many of these records were also destroyed in a fire in 1973…up to 18 million OMPFs were lost.
The fire at the NPRC damaged or destroyed:
Army records for discharges between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960, 80%. (The Army Air Forces were just that – Army – until 1947.)
Air Force records for discharges between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964, 75%; almost all records alphabetically after James E. Hubbard.
Navy, US Marine Corps, and Coast Guard records were unharmed.
Sadly, the expectation should be that no record will be returned for soldiers and airmen during the time period above. Therefore, anything received and anything in hand by the veteran or family is very important…some historical information may be able to be created.
I received some papers from the National Archives but don’t understand them.
No problem.
Many veterans, current service members, students of military history, and historians can help you decipher the ‘mil-speak’ and the acronyms and abbreviations. There are plenty of websites that explain what all the mumbo-jumbo on discharge papers means. Once that information is known, the creation of a veteran's history, even if only broadly, can begin.
County archives may also have discharge papers.
When most service members got off of active duty, they were highly encouraged to register their discharge at their home county archives…even to this day...in case the original was lost. These archives are often the first place to check!
Among other things, Allegheny’s Veterans Services page has a spot to request Military Discharge Papers.
Veterans Services - Allegheny County, PA. Feel free to give them a call - I have - they are very helpful.
(412) 621-4357.
Neither archive – National or county – has my veteran’s discharge papers. Now what?
Use what you have.
Helpful information about a veteran to start a search without discharge papers:
Full name.
Place of birth.
Date of birth.
Date and location of death.
Military serial number.
Social security number.
Not all of the above information is required. You’d be surprised what knowing only a few of those things can yield in a detailed search.
OK. I have some information about my WWII veteran and am starting to search online for more info. There is SO much out there, how do I narrow my search and how do I know what is credible and what is not?
It’s difficult to do a search for a veteran and get so many results of people with the same name or no results at all.
Some paid genealogy sites may help...
This is my go-to. Basic subscription costs about $20 per month. This is a general genealogy site.
Also a go-to. Basic membership is less than $10 per month. Think of this site as military genealogy.
Basic membership is less than $10 per month. A surprising amount of information can be found here.
You may already be using sites similar to those above - good.
Also, do some searches on the web for similar organizations in and around your community...there are plenty out there.
As for what is credible and what is not, that comes with time and experience – being able to weed through the garbage to get to what is genuine. The best example for us here is this website: 8th Armored Division - Home page.
Your first clue that this a legit research website is the absence of ads. Secondly, nobody is trying to sell anything. Third, it’s the website of an actual association. Fourth, you can tell by how it was written and the information in it – photographs, copies of official records, veterans’ testimonies, etc. Also note that this one is .org. There are many legit ‘civilian’ websites like this one, including .coms, put together by people who simply want to memorialize the unit and the people in it while also providing the rest of us a source for historical research.
Other resources.
Don’t overlook the value of local resources such as your library, local historical society, and (in our case) Allegheny County.
Many of our local libraries and historical societies have information on hand that is not available anywhere else, to include online. So, make the in-person trip.
Check with your family members. Not everyone in a family knows everything. Exhaust this resource first…you may be surprised who knows what or who has what (papers/artifacts) that may jump-start a history. Dig out those old dusty photo albums also. If the photos are not captioned, they may be on the back.
Check the veteran’s stuff. For the most part, veterans kept something from their service. Don’t underestimate the value of these things, no matter how insignificant they may seem. What may seem trivial at first glance might be a puzzle piece that starts a journey of discovery.
In any event, do not throw any military stuff away!
Search the web for the stuff you find, take it to a military museum, take it to your historical society, ask a historian, whatever. Too many of these national treasures are in landfills across the land. All of this stuff should be preserved, not trashed.
Unit histories.
This specific source is worth mentioning because many veterans kept these, especially from WWII.
A unit history is the official account of the military organization the veteran served in. They are often high-level, but much information can be taken from them. Some of them have rosters of the people in the unit, some even have photo sections of a unit’s members much like a high school yearbook.
If your veteran did not keep one, but you have found out what unit he or she was in, try to find one online and buy it. In lieu of that, some unit histories may be found online at no cost.
For example, the library in Bangor, ME, has the unit history of the 28th Infantry Regiment of the 8th Infantry Division online and you don’t have to be a member of that library to look at it…
Here are some pics of the covers of various unit histories. Note that the words ‘unit history’ are often not on the covers of these books:
OK. I have some of my veteran’s information. It seems interesting. Now what?
Tell the story!
Write it down somehow – in any format – and share it and preserve it!
In sequence is best.
For you.
For your family…you can finally make an accurate shadow box.
For history and for those who research and honor these Americans.
Final Note.
This research is hard yet often very rewarding.
Good for you - and for your veteran and that veteran's family - for giving it a try.
Let me know if you have any problems or need some help.
Discover - Preserve - Share.
