Posted on 03/14/2013 10:10:28 AM PDT by Thomas47
I sent in a request via vetrecs in January for a copy of my dd 214. Was informed that the file is missing and a marker was placed in the file area. I called on the progress of locating my file today and was told that the request I submitted was closed and that I would need to submit a new file request whick i did today. I was also informed that my file may be potentially lost forever and never found. Any ideas as to how I can escalate the locating of my military records? Any help would be appreciated.
Where and when did you serve and when were you discharged.Sometime during the late 1960’s a fire occurred in a document storage facility in St.Louis and a lot of DD-214’s were lost.
This is how I received my entire service record.
Hope it helps you:
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/
Check out:
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public/faqs.html
More Info on the fire:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Personnel_Records_Center_fire
T47, Join the American Legion or VFW they will have a rep who will help you with what ever you need including DD-214.
Didn’t you file it with your county when discharged?
Once you get a copy, see if your County Clerk can record it for you. They recorded mine when I got my Marriage License.
Now when I need a copy the County Clerk can print me one out. The recording and the first 2 copys are free.
Contact your Congressman and hope that He She It is not liberal. Contact your county Veterans Services Coordinator for help. Request replacement of awards and citations and get another request into the system. I know of one guy it took years to find his file. If you are requesting benefits form VA go ahead and apply at VA and county Veterans Services Coordinator with all you have. Agent Orange benefits include almost 20 medical problems and all you need to prove is that you stepped foot on Vietnam. DAV, VFW, Legion, and other veterans organizations have people to help and have been through things like this many times.
That was the first thing they told me during outprocessing from active duty in 1992. I immediately went to the courthouse, recorded my DD214 and then got six notarized copies. I put the originals in a safe deposit box.
Recording your DD 214 at the court house isn’t smart. Anyone can go in and research records and collect your personal information. DD 214 has your social security number on it.
There was a time, I think in the 70s where a bunch of DD214s were lost due to fire or water in the storage facility where they kept them before the digital age...I think this was in St. Louis.
My best advice is to go back and search all your records, you should have been given a copy. You should also review any orders you may have gotten. These may contain citations to a DD214.
When I got out, some volunteer veteran’s group actually sold us each a miniaturized, laminated DD214. I carry this in my wallet to this day.
This is one of the best suggestions. Don’t just write asking he or she to do something but rather prepare a letter which can simply be endorsed by your congress member and forwarded to St. Louis. They will make a extra effort but even then it may turn up nothing. The conveience of “the fire” can’t be overstated. Basically the workers there have no skin in the game and a very low threat of anything happening to them for their lack of auditability and control. Another government agency at there best.
They didn’t tell me to record it at the courthouse but I still have the original. Guess I should take the time to do it.
Also, there are a number of services available online where you can get speeded up service, but they're not free.
The only thing I remember when I mustered out was the Yeoman saying “You want out, right?”
If it truly can’t be located, contact the military installation where you out processed to see if they can locate it. Some things don’t get sent when they are supposed to, we found part of my hubby’s missing medical records by contacting the medical records section at the last place he was stationed, they were not supposed to be there- they should have been sent off for storage.
.....it took about 10 months to get mine. I received what they consider the replacement. A form typed out saying when and where you where assigned “as proof” of boots on the ground...according to that same form their request was forwarded to “others” for the replacement itself....that is now going on three years, still nothing that looks like the DD214.
When you fill in the forms, send copies of anything you have...schooling,training,squadron, medical records,dates are important as from when to when...anything old pay stubs
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